Memey Murderboi
by ElementEmerald
Summary: Midoriya Izuku is many things. He is a hero, a villain, an anti-hero, some may even say a mercenary. It depended on who you asked. Izuku is an online hero, broadcasting his every move, every word he breathes, every action he takes to his online site. Izuku is a hero that does what the public wants, carrying out their wishes every day. He is One for All, the voice of all.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, guys!" One for All cries, jumping to another rooftop. The camera jolts as it follows him but the visual remains good. As more viewers click onto his live stream, they're greeted with the sight of One for All running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

"It's ya boi, One for All! Running from the police, yet _again_," One for All enthusiastic cry turns to a groan at the end. "This is like... The third time this week? Maybe fourth?" He rambles. As One for All runs, he lifts his arm up where an electronic is strapped to his right arm. One for All's camera is located somewhere in his mask so they can see whatever he sees, as long as he tilts his head wherever he's looking, meaning they can see him checking the comments.

Current viewers: 3,047

Comments:

_Hey OFA! What we doing today_

_Fifth time, actually._

_Why are they even chasing u at this point. their never gonna catch u_

_did you kill another criminal and i missed it?_

_thanks for all your hard work though! xxx_

_What were you doing before the stream?_

_I think its the fourth time_

One for All gives a warm chuckle. "Well then. Apparently, it's the fifth time this week? Man, I'm really losing count here. What are the police even doing at this point?" One for All laughs as he chucks himself over a ledge, allowing himself to free fall to the ground. With impressive reflexes, One for All kicks off the wall and skids on the side of a dumpster to slow down his speed before jumping off. Sprinting down the alleyway, One for All descended into the maze of allys.

_u need to be careful before u get hurt_

_whats the stream for today_

_Do you even know where youre going_

_thanks for everything!_

_hi_

_fifth time? theyre actual trying 2 get u_

_SMALL MEMEY MURDERBOI I LOVE YOU_

_Be careful, One for All!_

"Today's been a great day, actually. To those who missed the stream earlier, we had Yuko Arokumo arrested for rape and assault. Since there was a total of around 4000 votes, I didn't wait for more people to show up. Sorry 'bout that, guys! Which now leads to why the police are chasing me. Personally, I think it's pretty telling how they found me and stuff."

_Yeah! That was actual justice_

_thank you for listening_

_I still think he should have been killed._

_the police should just give up on you -_- their never gonna catch u + everyone loves u_

_Arokumo got what he deserves, thanks to you_

_oh! so thats why there chasing you!_

_b careful not 2 get hurt honey xx_

Suddenly, an officer ran into the alley, having caught up with the famous vigilante. One for All heard the clicking of the gun before he heard the actual man himself. One for All turned around, a serious expression at the officer in blue that aimed a gun.

"Put your weapons down and your hands in the air if you don't want to be hurt!" The officer demanded, pointing his gun directly at One for All's chest. One for All didn't miss a beat, a smirk covering his face.

"Bold of you to assume I don't want to be hurt," One for All chuckles. The officer seemed really confused for a split second before One for All rushes forward, knocking the gun out of his hand before he can even blink. One for All places a well-aimed punch to the officer's face, probably breaking his nose as the officer screams and falls, clutching his nose as he does so. One for All spares a moment to look, staring at the gushing of blood as the officer writhes and cries. Yup, definitely broken. He turns around and runs away again, rushing through the maze.

_BE ACREFUL_

_Is he seriously trying to kill u?_

_RUN_

_He shouldnt be doing that _

_hey_

_heroes could be on their way - get out of their, quick!_

_are u alright?_

_this scares me, u need to be more careful before u get hurt_

_whatd i miss_

_Rip officer's nose_

_OFA What happened_

"I'm fine, guys! But you gotta give props to that officer for actually managing to find me! Not many can do that, after all. Officer whoever-you-are, well done! All jokes aside though, seriously. Props to him. I lost the rest of the - ugh - force yet he managed to find me," One for All flung himself up to a staircase and then used it propel himself upwards to a roof.

"Alright guys, I know this was one incredibly short stream but I kinda expected something more to happen but I guess not," One for All scanned the rooftop he was on. "So, I'm gonna make it back to my hideout now and I'll do another stream later."

_Get back safe_

_thanks for keeping us up to date_

_whats going on_

_see u later xx_

_hurry up_

_hi_

_thanks for much for everything!_

_bye afo_

_rememeber to be careful_

_YEET YOURSELF HIGHER_

_ill watch your stream later_

After bidding another goodbye, One for All cut his camera off, thus ending the stream. He scanned the rooftop once more and took a deep breath. Today had been quite the day. He released a sigh. He didn't have time to dwell on it. If that officer had caught up to him, then surely others would soon, too. He needed to make it back to his hideout before he thought about the events anymore.

One for All ensured the door was properly locked before he headed into his hideout. Or as he loved to call it (to the fan's dismay), the Murderfort. It was the perfect name. It had been based on a joke and of course, One for All had jumped on it the second it was presented to him. It had been a long-standing joke now, really. All of his older fans absolutely despised the name, wanting him to take the proper name they had given him but One for All loved to call it the Murderfort and get on their nerves. His latest followers didn't exactly understand the joke and while some of them liked it and some didn't, they didn't understand the joke behind it.

The joke behind it was there was no proper joke behind it. It was like a little message only his oldest followers could understand. His followers had come up with a legitimate name for his hideout after a two-hour debate and despite giving it an official name, One for All only ever called it the Murderfort, which, to his newer followers, stuck. Plus, there was just the overall factor that it was called the "Murderfort" which _really _wasn't a good name.

One for All kept his cool for as long as he could. But once he reached the main room of his hideout, he allowed himself to look down at his hands. They were covered in blood. He had been careful not to leave any handprints on any surface on his way back but still...

It was blood that he had shed.

He had killed Watashi Montero and had Yukio Arukumo arrested. There was blood staining his hands. One for All took another deep breath and then pulled his mask off, becoming Midoriya Izuku. Izuku took another shuddering breath, doing his best to calm himself down. There was blood. Blood that he had spilt. Tears welled up in his eyes. Izuku looked down at his shaking hands. It was still there. Still as red and horrifying as ever.

Forcing himself up, Izuku's wandering feet took him to the bathroom. He pulled his gloves off and despite there being no blood on his skin, he washed his hands anyway. He wanted the blood gone. Izuku wasn't sure how long he stood there, just watching his hands but when he pulled his hands back, they weren't clean. They were drenched in blood. All Izuku could hear was the roaring of his blood in his ear, the smell of blood in the air and it was all he could see-hear-smell-it was-it was... It was everywhere-anywhere he looked, it-it was there-. He couldn't-why-why was there so much blood-why was he covered in it-why couldn't he get rid of it-?

Izuku gasped, pulling himself out of his mind and back to reality. He shut his eyes, drowning his thoughts, forcing himself to bring back his sanity- his calm. He took several deep breaths, calming himself down from his panic attack. He was okay. It was okay. He had done what he needed to. He had done what they wanted. He was their voice. He did what they wanted...

But he was still guilty. He was still covered in blood. It hurt.

Izuku pushed himself onto his knees and reached up, turning the tap off before it had a chance to overflow. Deciding that the bathroom floor really wasn't the best place to have a life crisis, he picked his gloves up and forced himself to walk through his hideout until he reached the main room again. His hideout was fairly big, so he had multiple rooms but really, he only ever used the main room and the one to the side. He had managed to get himself a bed as well for nights he needed to stay at his hideout or just to take a break in general. Throwing his gloves to the side, for now, Izuku walked over to his bed and threw himself on it.

He needed a break. Just for a few minutes. He needed to _not _be One for All, the internet famous vigilante, an official villain to the police and to heroes, a vigilante to the public, an inspiration to thousands and a hero to victims. He needed to be Midoriya Izuku, the quirkless loser who couldn't do anything. But that wasn't right, was it? He could do so much - he was so much. He was more then he should be. He was more than anyone ever expected him to be. He was as much as he wanted to be, but sometimes... It was too much. Whether it was the pressure he had purposely put on himself or the constant blood that was on his hands, he didn't know. He just knew that right now, he needed a break. Just for a few minutes.

Izuku covered his eyes with an arm, blocking out all sources of light. He basked in the silence. He basked in the lack of light. There was no one here. His walls were not covered in blood. There were no voices for him to hear. There was no one reaching out to him. There was no fighting. There was no running. There was no constant analysing every single detail. There was no wondering what was right or wrong. There was no begging for lives. There were no cries for help. There was no chaos.

There was just Midoriya Izuku, a tired individual.

He hadn't realised he was crying. He didn't bother to wipe his tears away, not having the energy to do so. He'd have to do a stream soon, his mind reminded him. He couldn't keep them waiting forever. He'd do it later, he decided. He was tired right now. He was really tired. He was drifting off to sleep, he vaguely realised.

It was when he was asleep that the voices came back. The voices that, despite what they had done to others, begged for their lives. Izuku - One for All wasn't heartless. He gave them all a choice. He gave the public a choice. He gave everyone a choice.

Everyone but himself.

Their voices all mattered. The voices of everyone - the public, the criminal in question, the haters, the police, the heroes and the villains. Everyone. All their voices came together to make up One for All. The only voice that hadn't been accounted for was Midoriya Izuku. It hadn't been accounted for a long time, after all. But that was fine. Midoriya Izuku was used to his voice being silenced, he was used to no one hearing him, he was used to crying out only to be ignored, he was used to not being accounted for and that was fine. Because that was what Midoriya Izuku was. Nothing. Nothing to be accounted for and nothing to be heard. His own opinions didn't matter. What mattered most was what everyone _else _thought. Never him. Always them.

It was killing him. Being a voice but not being able to use his own. But that was okay. Because who was Midoriya Izuku anyway? A Quirkless Deku? No one needed his voice.

As Izuku drifted off to sleep, the voices haunted him. The begs for their lives. The pleas. The orders of the masses. The crushing pressure and stress. The crying out for no one to hear him for who he was. The smell and sight of blood staining the floor and walls. The blood staining his hands. His fingers tingling as if he was still holding that knife and he was still running that knife over necks and spilling more blood. The constant need to look over his shoulder for any of the criminals looking to take him out before he takes them out. The screaming of the masses. The blaring of the sirens. The flashing lights. The fear, the dread, the self-hatred. The sight of a dead body that he was responsible for. The responsibility of it all. He was trapped under all of it - trapped under the pressure. But regardless of it all... He would continue to be him.

He was One for All and he was the voice of all.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two: Trial by Public Interest**_

"YEET!" One for All cried as he threw the villain's gun a far distance away. "Won't be needing that any time soon!" The villain made a vague noise of surprise but before he was allowed to recover any further, One for All jumped into the air, his body spinning as his leg came out, kicking the villain across the face. The villain crashed to the ground with a loud yelp while One for All landed gracefully. "And that's how you do it, kids!"

He could see multiple comments appearing on his screen but he ignored them for now, not allowing himself to get distracted. Just because the villain was on the ground didn't mean he was out of the fight. He couldn't afford to let his guard down. One for All lifted his leg into the air and then using as much force as he deemed necessary - which was quite a bit - he allowed his leg to crash downwards, hitting the villain's neck. The villain slammed into the ground harshly and One for All was pretty certain that he was now unconscious.

"Alright! Now that that's over, let's get this trial started!" One for All cheered. He pulled some rope out of one of the compartments on his utility belt. Securing the villain's arms behind his back, One for All tied him up and set him against the wall. One for All spared a quick glance to the screen on his right wrist, checking the comments of his stream.

_What did he do again?_

_your fighting has really improved_

_police might be on their way, be careful xxx  
_

_YEET YEET BITCH_

_thank you ofa_

_whats going on_

_When u can fight better than trained professionals,,,_

_who is this and hwat did he do?  
_

_GET REKT MATE_

_i recognise him. just kill him and save everyone the trouble._

One for All stared at the comments, just quickly taking in what everyone was saying before he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Although he was known as the "voice of the people", he had also gained the title of "Tech hero" because he was... well, he had a lot of tech. He liked to build little gadgets that helped him with his work and of course, any time he built anything, he live streamed it and showed his viewers as he built every item, the purpose it was for, how it was supposed to work, the test trials, etc. There was nothing his viewers didn't know about him - except his identity. It was the one thing he had asked that be kept a secret and his viewers had agreed to his one condition, which was something he greatly appreciated. Of course, One for All wasn't stupid. He knew it put him in exceptional danger, broadcasting his every gadget and everything he used, especially how it was used and what it was all for. If villains watched his stream and some probably did, they would know all about everything he used. The only thing he had yet to use was his 'quirk', which... he didn't have. Not that anyone needed to know that. Though the theories were always amusing to him and there were plenty of theories. In fact, One for All had counted - there was 107 different theories on what his Quirk could be but no one ever guessed he was quirkless.

They just thought he liked inventing stuff, which wasn't all too wrong. Everything he used was created himself - except his phone, which he had modified multiple times to suit his needs. It was dangerous broadcasting his every strength and weakness but One for All chose to do it anyway, regardless of the danger. He had promised to be truthful with his followers and not hide a single of his actions in mask from him. He intended to keep that promise, regardless of the risk it brought.

One for All stared at his phone, pressing one of the apps he had made. Immediately, the drone he had made that followed him everywhere, flew closer. Attached and built into said drone was a few of his extra inventions for an emergency and a camera, recording everything from a different angle. One for All used two main different cameras - the one in his mask to broadcast everything he saw and the one attached to his bot that always faithfully followed behind him to show a wider range of what was going on around him. It also helped show his viewers his movements since they couldn't see it as well through his eyes. The drone floated by One for All's chest, having lowered itself closer to him. Pressing another command on his phone, the drone settled before the villain, giving the viewers a very clear shot of the man. One for All walked around, checking for any potential threats. After ensuring the perimeter was secure for now, One for All walked back over to the villain.

One for All shoved his phone back in his pocket and clicked on one of the gadgets attacked to his wrist, turning it on. The gadget buzzed and One for All watched it come to life with a small smile. It was like a metal bracelet around his wrist, small and compact but very useful. It had a barrel at the middle, pointing towards his hand. It was like a taser, except it actually shot small jolts of electricity. On the metal band were several little buttons, which OFA used to activate it all. The gadget had several perks; rapid fire, stun, a single shot, a last choice option that shot out all the electricity it had stored at once and a power button. OFA used the single shot to send a jolt at the villain before him, the jolt being enough to force the man into consciousness. OFA turned his gadget off, not needing it anymore.

The villain jerking, gasping as he looked around. "w-what?" the man asked, frantically looking around his surrounding before noticing One for All standing above him. The villain's eyes widened, recognition shining in his eyes as he took in his appearance. OFA smiled, taking a few step backs, once again giving his viewers a full screen. He took out his phone once again and pulled up the villain's profile.

"Okay, let's start then... David Collins, you were accused of multiple crimes; fraud, identity theft, theft, rape, and attempted murder. You originally lived in England, where you committed these crimes. There was a warrant out for your arrest but before you could be arrested, you fled the country, coming here, to Japan where you've resided for the past two years, continuing your fraud and identity theft. According to your record, you have scammed people of over 1500000 yen, in Japan alone," One for All explained, reading off from his notes and summary of the villain that he had created from the villain's profile. "Do you deny these claims?"

"O-of course, I-I do! I hav-haven't done any such thi-thing!" The man stuttered, leaning forward, desperation and fear in his eyes. One for All spared a glance to the screen on his right arm again to check the comments, his face a blank mask.

_What a sicko_

_just kill him, who even cares?_

_I'm so lost right now, man._

_he fled the country and came here, we certainly dont want him._

_how is it fair that hes been on the run for that long and no hero has caught him_

_arrest him._

_who is this guy?_

_Im not paying my taxes so he can live freely in prison. besides, he probably scammed someone of something like that, so hell no._

_throw the trash out_

_Thats a lot of damn money_

_wuu2_

_those poor girls!_

**Votes: unopened. **

One for All hummed. It wasn't time to open the votes. The man hadn't had his say yet nor had he been given a chance to defend himself and One for All was all for equality in trials like these. He didn't have restrictions like courts did but sometimes that made things a bit... difficult. Not everyone was willing to listen to a villain's story or what they had to say. They had done what they had done and no matter what made them do it, they had still chosen to do so. One for All lowered his arms, looking back over to David, who, One for All noticed, was now shaking.

"Why do you deny these claims?" One for All asked calmly. The man was all too eager to answer. Clearly, he thought he could get out of this. Most villains did. Unfortunately, some people really didn't care if you had a sob story or not, 'you had still committed the crime, so pay the time' was a common thing for him to hear.

"I-I would ne-never do such things! I swear!" the man cried. One for All's gaze slowly drifted over to the gun he had thrown away.

"Riiiiiiight," he drawled, clearly believing him. One for all walked over to the gun, picking it up and strolling back over. One for All held the gun up. "And this?" he asked, unimpressed.

"Self defence! You attacked me! Everyone knows how you kill people, I was scared you'd kill me so of course I lashed out!" The man screamed and One for All flinched. He hoped the man hadn't noticed but judging from the look in the man's eyes, he had most certainly noticed. One for All quickly composed himself. Luckily, his viewers wouldn't have been able to see his flinch.

He couldn't deny it though. Regardless of the fact that this man was a criminal, it… hurt. To have people be afraid of him. Yes, villains were supposed to be afraid of heroes and it was the same the other way, but One for All wasn't exactly acknowledged as a hero. He was technically a villain. He had killed. He was a murderer and people were afraid of him because of that very fact. He had wanted to be a hero but the cards he had been given weren't exactly in his favour. Regardless, One for All would continue - as long as it was what the people wanted.

"You're just a murderer! At least I haven't actually killed someone!" David cried, glaring at him. A knife was embedded in One for All's heart and it gave a painful twist. One for All kept a blank face, even as the knife continued to twist about. His stomach churned as well but he chose to ignore it.

"Attempted murder is just as bad as murder," One for All replied calmly. He couldn't help but look down to his comments, wanting to know what his viewers had to say.

_Current viewers: 6,908_

_dont listen to him, man_

_aren't we just as guilty for asking you to kill them?_

_its not like anyone you killed was innocent_

_kill 1 murderer, the amount of murderers in the world stay the same. but if you kill ONE HUNDRED, then I think you're making a difference dude._

_Ily ofaaaaaaaaa_

_Even if it is for our sake, it is technically murder._

_yeah, you do it for us_

_no one listens because no one cares, david._

_theres a difference in what you do and what he does_

_two wrongs doesnt make a right_

_thank you for all you've done_

_U only kill those who deserve it tho xx_

_who asked for his opinion anyway?_

_He's right though. You ARE a murderer by definition. But its righteous._

"Yeah but no one has actually died because of me! They've died for you! How many have you killed, anyway?" David continued, obviously trying to get under One for All's skin but the boy wouldn't allow it.

"132, but that's not important to you nor is it relevant to your case. You have denied the claims against you because 'it is something you would never do'. Do you have any other reasons or anything more you'd wish to add to this statement?" One for All listed, remaining calm. One for All could tell from the change in David's expression, he realised he wouldn't be getting out of this anytime soon, especially not with taunts. He almost seemed calmer when it clicked in his head. One for All tensed, ready for some kind of trick.

"I, uh… There's no proof it was me! You've got the wrong guy!" David continued. One for All sighed and lifted the gun, pointing it at David's head. He had no intention to actually fire, just scare him, but David didn't need to know this.

"Do you have any reasons for committing these crimes? This is your last chance to attempt to sympathise with my audience before I open the votes. Do not speak to me; speak to the world that will now judge your actions and seal whatever fate they choose for you. Or even, speak to the ones you stole from," One for All spoke slowly, making sure his every word was clear. One for All lowered the gun. David shifted uncomfortable, his eyes darting around. "If you have nothing to say to them, then they will begin to choose your fate." One for All lifted up his phone, getting ready to open the polls.

"I did what I had to, to make a living. I needed money and it was the best option for me," David answered, looking directly into the camera. "You have to understand; the need for money in order to survive."

_We all need money, but we dont go conning people everywhere._

_thats bullshit_

_you always have a choice, my dude_

_sAME, BUT like… no_

_Everyone has a choice, man. You made yours. We're not paying for it._

_you could have gotten a job like the rest of us_

_That ain't how we go about this shit._

_I think he should live. He seems sorry._

His viewers are as unforgiving as ever, it seems. Sometimes, the villain's reasoning didn't matter to them. They just wanted justice for the hurt that had been inflicted upon them and the people they cared for. Sometimes, the backstory just didn't matter. They had done what they had done and while what happened to them sucked, they had actively made the choice to do what they did. Everyone had a choice, was a common quote.

"Do you want to say anything more?" One for All asked softly, preparing to open the votes. David shook his head, seeming to accept his fate. One for All was a bit suspicious about him - while some did come to accept their fate, having seen OFA's stream before and knowing when they had reached the point of no return, the man before him seemed to give up a little too easily, setting One For All on guard.

"Then, it's time the public decided your fate, as you once chose theirs," With that, One for All opened the votes. He lowered his phone and stared at David, simply just examining him, trying to see if David had set a trap of some kind or was attempting any dirty tricks. It would come as no surprise - the man conned people for a living, it wouldn't be surprising if he was using those very same skills to try and trick OFA. Not that the boy would fall for it, after all. There was also a chance David didn't intend to do anything but the chances were slim and One for All had learnt the hard way that lowering his guard was a very bad idea. In this line of business, he couldn't afford to allow himself to believe that everyone had a good side.

It was a slow five minutes, waiting for all the votes to come in. Deciding that he really didn't want to deal with the silence anymore, One For All repeated David's crimes, his defence and adding more information about his victims, explaining it all in more detail and telling any new viewers what was going on.

One for All spared a glance at his phone, checking the votes.

_David Collins. Crime: Thief, rape, attempted murder, frau… __**[Click here for Villain profile case]**_

_Arrest: 2840 votes._

_Kill: 1983 votes._

One for All hummed, looking over to David from where he was leaning against the wall. "Looks like you're going to be arrested. That's not a guarantee though, there's still more votes to come," he informed nonchalantly. He clicked off the votes and momentarily turned off the visual in his mask. Making sure that his viewers could no longer see what he was doing, he opened another app.

Amongst all his viewers, he had gained many fans and followers. People who were willing to help him with his hunts and such. One for All was an internet sensation, broadcasting his every move. Which was, of course, a massive danger all in itself. While it built trust between him and his followers, it also broadcasted his every move to his enemies, to the police, heroes, villains, to everyone who sought him out to get rid of him. He didn't work with the police - they were against him because he killed. The police force was to arrest him if they were given the chance. To law enforcement, he was a villain. Despite that, One for All knew he had followers and fans in the force, but he knew very well that they had to do their job, regardless of their own opinion on him.

(He just wanted to help.)

For that very reason, One for All had to be very careful. The police weren't friends with him - they were an enemy. He was more than aware that the police were smart. They weren't to be underestimated, despite what One for All said about them. It wasn't the police that was the problem, however. It was the prisons. What was the point of all the Police and heroes hard work if villains just kept escaping from prison? Or if the villains didn't get the sentence they actually deserved?

Amongst his many followers, there had been a few that had a helping hand with One for All's actions. Of course, they did it all behind a screen which he was more than okay with. He didn't have any official sidekicks or anything, but there were people that helped keep his site up and running, monitoring the votes and making sure that the villain cases were accessible to the public. They also dealt with any glitches that hit his system when he was out and unable to deal with it. Whenever One for All was too injured or his cameras had been too damaged, he communicated with his fans through his admins - they passed messages on for him and kept the public updated for him. All of his admins were selected carefully and of course, trusted a great deal. They were his loyal followers and helped him run everything, sending important alerts straight to him. From what he had heard from his admins, One for All had also inspired a few people to take action - there were other internet vigilantes that did the same as One for All, their actions in his name. It was amazing, really. Although a bit worrying, of course.

**Suziya (Admin):**_ The Police are still trying to figure out where you are. The nearest cop is three minutes away from your current location. You most likely have 7 minutes before they're onto you._

**Rya (Admin):**_ Heroes are patrolling the area. Stary and MountMan would be the heroes you'd be most likely to deal with, since they're closest. MountMan would be the biggest threat because he can sense vibrations in the earth. I'm not sure how it works exactly, but from what I hear, he can use it like a sonar in water - except in the ground and for you._

**Vixxy (Admin):**_ 61% of your usual viewers are current and watching. It'd probably be best if you close the votes in another 3-7 minutes. All in all, it's a good attendance. There's no point in waiting for more people._

**One For All (Leader): **_Thanks, guys. I'll close the votes in 4 minutes and then get out of here._

One for All left the app and went back to the votes, turning his mask camera back on. "Alright guys, I'll be closing the votes in 3 minutes and… 38 seconds, to be exact." From the corner of his eye, One for All could see David flinch.

All was silent for the next few minutes as One for All debated his escape route and the best way to get back to his hideout without the police tracing him, especially since it seemed as though his viewers wanted David to be arrested. While that could change, there was still a fair chance he'd have to leave him to the police, but that came with trouble on its own. He had to make sure the police were actually able to capture David and take him into custody. One for All couldn't just leave him here and hope that the police found him, after all. It would be the perfect chance for David to attempt to escape and One for All wouldn't allow that to happen.

"Why do you do this?" David asked. One for All looked up, breaking away from his thoughts and plans.

"What?" He looked at him in confusion. Was he trying to find another way to get out of his predicament? A distraction, maybe? "Do what?"

"You're not like the heroes," David muttered quietly, looking downwards, frowning. "But you're not like the villains either. You're a league of your own and for what?"

"Bold of you to assume I'm in a league of my own," One for All snarked, raising an eyebrow. David didn't reply and after a few seconds, One for All scoffed, then sighed, growing serious. "I'm whatever you want me to be," One for All muttered, staring at the man across from him. "Whether people decide to deem me as a villain, a hero, something in between or something entirely different, is up to them. I won't label myself."

(He's not allowed to choose.)

"What is it that you want to be? I'm asking _you_, not the public," David looked up, staring right into One for All's eyes with so much intensity that he flinched. One for All remained quiet, having no response to give. The truth is, he had stopped thinking about what he wanted to be a long time ago. It didn't matter what he wanted - what matters was what the people wanted. If they wanted a hero, they would get a hero. If they wanted a villain, they would get a villain. If they wanted something different, they would get something different, and henceforth. What the person behind the mask - Midoriya Izuku - wanted was lost a long time ago until the goal was ripped and frayed around the edges, the centre of the picture lost and faded, completely unrecognisable.

(He had hope once, didn't he?)

(What had destroyed him? He couldn't remember.)

(When had his opinion amounted to nothing?)

(It had meant nothing for a long time now. Perhaps it never meant anything to begin with.)

He just knew one thing; he wasn't a hero, despite what some may say. He wasn't sure if what he was doing was right or wrong anymore. He just knew that people wanted what he was doing. His own morals had gotten lost somewhere and the truth is, he had no idea where. He had no idea when everything had become black and white, and where, along that long road, it had all just become grey and he was struggling to find an answer to a question that hadn't even been asked. He was lost and he had no idea which way he was supposed to be going, he only knew which direction he was wondering in, but he had no idea whether it was the right way or not. He just knew he was following their voices and doing what they told him to - a robotic version of his old self (always so empty), filling the void with jokes and busying himself with gadgets and plans that he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to go through with, but did anyway.

"You don't even have an answer?" David scoffed, looking away. He almost looked disappointed but One for All couldn't be sure. He couldn't identity the emotions on the man's face properly and even if he did, it could be fake. The man was a con artist, after all. Once more not having an answer, he just shrugged. He had nothing to say about what he was.

"It doesn't matter what I want to be. What matters is what the people want and whatever they want, I will be," One for All answered, deciding that maybe the man needed some kind of answer to find some sort of peace in his mind. (He didn't know what he fought for anyway.)

"Even if they want you to be gone?" His temporary companion snapped, now back to glaring at the mini vigilante. One for All shrugged again. If that was what they wanted, then that was One for All would give them - his disappearance.

"Even if they want me to be gone," One for All confirmed, his voice void of emotion. (He had thought about it before and he had accepted it. He had considered himself lucky for even getting this far. Maybe that was why it was okay in his mind that if the people wanted him gone, then he should go. He had been around long enough, hadn't he? He had done what he set out to do. (What was that again?)

His phone beeped and One for All looked down to see that Vixxy had set a timer for the votes. Time was up. The votes had been set.

"Okay, it's time," One for All stated, pushing himself away from the wall. "The public has decided what they want to do with you," One for All looked down to his phone, cursing himself when he caught sight of the comments that he didn't want to see right now. He didn't need reassurances or curses or questions or anything.

(Just leave me be.)

Live stream comments:

Would you really?

I appreciate all you do for us

don't disappear, we love you!

we need you. your a hero

kindly raise your confidence, please and thank.

youre a necessary evil, so thats like… vigilante?

u no ur opinion matters to right? xx

thats a sad thing to say ofa

big oof

One for All clicked off the comments, ignoring the majority as they rapidly appeared on his screen.

_Votes:_

_Arrest: 4306_

_Kill: 3064_

_Total votes: 7370_

_Viewers: 8403_

_Course of action to be taken: ARREST._

"1033 people that are currently watching didn't vote, but that's okay. David Collins, for your crimes, the public has deemed it in their best interest that you be arrested. To the Police, if you wish to find me and the villain, my current location is [insert location here, sorry guys, I really don't know how to do locations]." One for All passed the judgement calmly and strictly as always. "We'll be waiting," One for All began to pack his stuff up. From the corner of his eye, he could see David relax greatly, clearly relieved he was only going to be arrested.

"Prison is a relief to you?" One for All hummed, deciding to make conversation. He hadn't been in a very talkative mood and he knew how his viewers worried whenever he didn't speak - he was almost always speaking, rambling about one thing or another. His fans had come to understand that his silence meant he wasn't in a good mood. Truth be told, One for All was still upset from his little breakdown yesterday. He hadn't broken down in quite a while. He was supposed to be stronger than that. He was supposed to have grown up. Supposed to be _better._ He wasn't that crybaby anymore. He wasn't that person anymore. (Who was he?)

"It's better than dying," David replies, watching him. One for All stared at the gun before chucking it towards a window. Far away enough from David but close enough that he could grab it in an emergency. Though, he hoped it wouldn't come to that. One for All, really not feeling up for anymore conversation, remained quiet. A few minutes passed and the sound of sirens began to draw closer. (They should catch you.)

(**Monster**.)

One for All jumped up to the rafters, lingering near the window of the roof to escape. Once he made sure the police had David in their custody and he didn't get away, One for All could leave. Then be chased by said police, as usual. Although One for All was aware that some heroes and police officers as well as other authorities supported him, he knew they couldn't always act on what they wanted. He was all too aware of such a feeling. So although he had their support, he knew it was best not to risk staying behind or leaving himself too vulnerable.

His drone floated behind him, providing a birds eye view for his followers which included OFA in the frame. One for All liked to give his followers as much view as he could and he realised that they couldn't see everything through his eyes. A drone to give a second view compensated greatly.

Officers rushed in, weapons at the ready and the hero Stary beside them. Her eyes immediately drew upwards, apparently already knowing where he was. She must have been watching the stream. The officers walked over to David, hauling him up and away. One for All's eyes followed him as he was escorted out and then his gaze landed on Stary who was calmly watching him.

"I do not want to fight you, One for All. Please come down," Stary said gently. One For All scanned her, searching for any tricks she might be preparing. He wasn't intending to come down, but he wasn't going to take his chances and assume that she wouldn't attack anyway. Although she doubted she would though. The Star-Light hero. A kind and beautiful hero who's Quirk was something akin to raw energy. If he remembered correctly, she could absorb energy and store it, as well as release it. She could make her attacks look star-shaped and that was where the basis of her name came from. A hero that could 'light the darkness' as some said. (Don't get near her, you'll ruin her light.)

"I don't want to fight you either, Stary, but I have no intention of being arrested today," One for All replied. He stood up from his crouch, lifting up his mouth guard and securing it on his face. He kept his eyes on the officers that were standing off to the side and undoubtingly waiting for an opening. Stary's eyes softened and sadness and pity began to take their place. One for All tensed. No. He didn't want that. Don't look at him like that. Never look at him like that. He's had enough of that. He was better than that. He didn't need that. He didn't need that. He was strong now. He wouldn't let them feel that way for him. They shouldn't. He didn't want nor need it. Pity.

(Always, _always _so pitiful and useless.)

(No, no. Not anymore. No. Never again.)

(He's somebody now. He isn't the nobody he used to be. He's _somebody_. He doesn't actually know who, but he _is _somebody.)

"You always have a choice, One for All. You can stop. You can leave this and live. Be your own person," Stary said, still looking at him with that sadness and damn pity-.

OFA grit his teeth but kept his voice as composed as possible despite his tense body posture. His statement was strong as he spoke. "I don't need a choice. Not anymore. But they do. I am their choice and their voice and I will not stop until they want me to."

"Do you want to stop?" Stary asked instead, still directing her question to the person behind the mask and dammit, _stop it_ \- It wasn't about what he wanted! It was about them, it always was. It was about the people who felt they were ignored and didn't have a voice. It was about the people who were crying out to be heard, to be helped, to be saved, begging for a hero that never came, who couldn't do things themselves. It was always about them and it always would be. It wasn't about him. It could never be and would never be. His own voice was drowned out by theirs anyway.

One for All, not having an answer to the question - or at least an answer he wanted to admit to - remained quiet. One for All expected another question, perhaps a change of topic, or action. Nothing came. Stary just kept staring at him, ever so expectant, ever so patient, her eyes hoping and sad all the same, hoping for him to come to his senses and use his own voice. He would never dare.

Finally, One for All couldn't take it anymore. He didn't like the way she was looking at him. He couldn't stand it. "It doesn't matter what I want. It never has. The only thing that matters is what they want," One for All hissed. Not waiting for an answer, he turned and jumped out of the window, intending to get as far away from here as he could. His drone followed him as loyally as always.

"Wait, One for All! Please!" Stary cried, sounding desperate and worried and One for All _hated _it. He didn't want to be there anymore. He sprinted across the rooftops, turning off his cameras so he could make his way back to the MurderFort. He didn't want to be bothered anymore. He didn't want to talk anymore. He didn't want anymore people asking him what he wanted. He wasn't willing to be followed and risk another interaction with people. He just wanted to be left alone. (Like he usually was. Ever so alone and unimportant.)

When One for All arrived at the MurderFort, he slammed the door shut and leaned against said metal door. What was wrong with him recently? He was supposed to be okay. He was supposed to be stronger than this. He was supposed to be better. He wasn't supposed to be this weak again. Why did he keep coming close to breaking down every damn time? Why was he on the borderline of just shutting down entirely? He sighed, calming himself down. He took some deep breaths, feeling some of the weight on his shoulders be lifted. Good. That was good. He needed to relax. Perhaps he was just overworked. It had been really busy recently. Yes, that had to be it.

He just needed a little break.

(He needed to be himself for once.)

(No. Not that. He can't be that.)

(No one needs or wants that. They just want One for All, their voice.)

(He was still nobody under the mask but he was somebody with the mask. That's all that matters. That's all.)

(That had to be all. He couldn't let himself believe otherwise.)


	3. Chapter 3

Midoriya Izuku was drawing in his notebook as the teacher rambled on about something that Izuku really wasn't paying attention to. Usually, he would be listening and making notes - he was a very good student - but right now, he was swamped with work and he needed to get ahead of it. He had discovered that throughout the past few years, there had been a sort of an increase and decrease in villain activity - an anomaly. It almost looked normal on the charts but Izuku had realised that there was something… off. Random villains had disappeared, as well as citizens. It should be posed as an entirely normal event, given it just factors into the normal villain activity rate but there was just something so _wrong _about it that Izuku had to investigate. He just couldn't figure it out.

Villains disappeared, weak and powerful with quirks of all types and there was nothing new on the subject. It was weird because Izuku hadn't found any information on said villains being taken down by heroes, or even other villains, or heck, going back to their daily lives - the weaker and lower class villains were much easier to identify. But it irked Izuku. Even knowing their identities, he didn't know where they were going. They weren't killed by other villains, they weren't taken down by heroes, they weren't going back to their lives and they weren't leaving the city or country. So _where _were they going? They just up and vanished. It didn't exactly help Izuku that since they were villains, the heroes and police hadn't put much effort into it. For the most part, Izuku could understand why - they were villains and it was their job to get rid of them and if they just happened to disappear, then it made their job easier. Perhaps Izuku shouldn't be investigating it himself since he did have more active matters to attend to but it just somehow seemed important. Besides, if he didn't do it, who would?

A part of him wouldn't rest until he figured it out. For all he knew, whatever caused those disappearances could turn out to be a big problem and they just didn't know it yet. If that was the case, then it'd best to solve the problem before it got bigger and more difficult to defeat. Also, Izuku was fairly sure that some of these villain disappearances also factored into the civilian disappearances. They seemed similar and it had the exact same mo. No bodies and absolutely never heard of again. Gone, without a trace. The only problem was that Izuku couldn't find a way to connect them together or find a common goal. The disappearances had absolutely nothing in common, that Izuku could tell at least. But Izuku _knew_, he just _**knew**_, there was something connecting them all together. He had looked into their profiles as much as he could and couldn't find any connections in terms of friends, family, history or even jobs. In terms of the more shady connections, there was nothing. The only connection he did find was two villains having the same drug dealer but that was it and said dealer himself was still dealing - Izuku had already made a mental note to start tracking him down and give him a trial. He was fairly sure his viewers would appreciate it if he got rid of a drug dealer for them.

Izuku was startled out of his thoughts as the entire class erupted into roars. Izuku's head whipped back and forth, wondering what on earth he had just missed. Several of his classmates were showing off their quirks, cheering loudly and his teacher had just thrown some papers into the air which was now fluttering through the air of the chaotic classroom.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be a hero!"

"You bet, teach!"

"Just ya watch, I'm gun be the best hero in the future!"

"I'm going to be the best!"

Izuku blinked, his mind struggling to reboot and change topics from his previously deep thought train to processing what was happening. Heroes? Future? Best? What? Oh, wait. Izuku finally caught onto what was happening after a few seconds. They were talking about what they wanted to do once they left this school. If Izuku remembered correctly, he had put U.A General Education on his form. It would be incredibly risky for him, given how he was also One for All in a school full of heroes and future heroes that weren't exactly on his side. Although he did sometimes wonder what would happen if heroes were to capture him. Yes, he was a murderer, but by many people's definition, he was a hero. Especially since he only ever did what the public wanted. If he was sentenced for his crimes, they would have a looooot of evidence of him - y'know, given the fact he broadcasted and posted his every single move online and such. That was bound to be some solid evidence.

"Sensei! Don't lump us all in the same group. I'm not gonna be stuck at the bottom with the rest of these rejects!" Bakugo Katsuki - Kacchan (always so arrogant in words but always so hard working).

"THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR, KATSUKI!" One of their classmates yelled, the entire class immediately turning to yell at their arrogant classmate. Izuku just sighed, sinking into his seat and closing his notebook. So it was going to be one of those days, huh? He certainly couldn't say he enjoyed days like these but at least it kept everything interesting.

"Yeah, yeah!"

"You all should shut up like the extras you are!" Bakugo yelled, what a face that was borderline sadistic. More yelling erupted from the room of students, all disagreeing to Bakugo's words. Izuku stayed quiet at his desk, not surprised at the outcome but slightly nervous. It wouldn't end well if Bakugo got mad.

"Oh, if I remember correctly, you want to go to U.A High, right, Bakugo?" The teacher asked, somehow managing to calm the class without even trying. The students looked to Bakugo in mild surprise, meanwhile, Izuku winced. This was going to go downhill for him really quick. In which case, he quickly swapped out his books, replacing his current notebook for his work as One for All with his Hero Analysis book. It would be horrible if someone saw what was inside or it ended up getting destroyed in Bakugo's rampage that was bound to come sooner or later.

"U.A? That National School?"

"It was in the top 0.2% this year, you know!"

"Their acceptance rate's always really low, too!"

"That's exactly why you guys are just extras!" Bakugo loudly proclaimed. In a swift movement, he jumped onto his desk. "I aced the mock test!" He pointed to himself. "I'm the only one at this school who could possibly get into U.A.. I'll definitely surpass All Might and become the top hero! My name'll be inscribed on the list of top earners!" Bakugo roared. Honestly, Izuku couldn't help but be moved by his enthusiasm. He had always looked up to Bakugo for it. Sure, his personality was as far away from hero material as it could be, but he had always been enthusiastic about being a hero since they were kids and Izuku couldn't help but admire it. His determination to become a hero was amazing and it had only grown stronger - as had he - throughout the years. He was incredible in that way. He would be a good hero - if he could just be a little bit nicer anyway…

"Oh yeah, Midoriya wanted to go to U.A too, right?" The teacher asked. Bakugo froze where he was and for a brief moment, the entire class was dead silent. Izuku tried to burrow his head in his arms. He hated moments like these. He knew what he was. He knew it was true. But then another part of him - the part that was One for All, told him that he was _strong_, that he was _powerful _and he could do anything. He liked to think that he could. But even with his many achievements as One for All, he was still quirkless. His so called 'power' came from his gadgets and research. From taking the villains off guard and running around a lot. From the use of a taser or a quick move he had learnt somewhere along the line. None of it was real power. Just pure luck that somehow managed to keep going.

Everyone burst into laughter, multiple sneers being directed at him as his classmates snickered and laughed at the thought of him becoming a hero. He wished he could prove them wrong sometimes.

"Huh, Midoriya? No way!"

"You can't get into the hero course just by studying!" Another classmate sneered.

"I-I'm not aiming for the h-hero course! Ju-just general education!" Izuku tried to defend himself, hoping that it would have some effect and everyone would stop laughing at him. (If only they knew what you really are.)

Izuku got no such luck as Bakugo jumped towards his table, slamming his fist down and blowing up his table. Izuku was sent flying backwards, landing painfully on his butt.

"Hey, Deku! You're below the rejects! You're Quirkless!" Bakugo yelled, holding his palm up. Izuku stared at the smoke coming from his palm in alarm. His body screamed at him in a panic, his muscles tensing and telling him to get up and defend himself. He forced himself to stay where he was - he couldn't risk showing anyone what he could do. He couldn't risk anyone realising that he was One for All - not that anyone in this room would ever believe it.

"How can you even stand in the same ring as me?!" Izuku tried to ignore Bakugo's words, trying to ignore how they really stabbed at him and probed at his insecurities and everything that slowly broke him down when he needed to be strong, tried to ignore how it fueled his doubts and fears. He tried to remember the motto he had made himself live by all the time. The scars made you who you are. Don't be ashamed of them. The scars made you who you are.

(The words hurt him anyway.)

"No, wait, Kacchan! It's not like I'm trying to compete with you or anything! I'm not aiming for the hero course! Just general education!" Izuku desperately blabbed, shuffling backwards until his back hit the wall, his hands waving around rapidly in an attempt to help convey what he was trying to say.

"I'm going to be the only one getting into U.A! Besides, what the hell can _you _do? You're Quirkless!" Bakugo repeated and although it was nothing new for Izuku to hear, the words just kept stabbing him ever deeper, ever so hurtful and truthful and _painful_.

(The scars made you who you are. Don't be ashamed.)

He heard snickers from his classmates. The shame sunk in deeper. They always laughed at him. He wasn't even doing anything to them. Why? Why did they have to laugh at him and hurt him? Why did none of them ever try to help him? If their situations were reversed, he would have tried to help them. But instead, they all stood by, laughing and snickering and mocking and taunting him all the time - even the teacher didn't do anything. What a great guy, right?

(Why was he so alone? Was it just because he was Quirkless? Or was it something else? Was it just him?)

~~~Memey Murderboi~~~

Izuku scrolled through the news articles on his phone as his classmates left. There were several ones that slightly interested him but only two headlines caught his eyes. The first one was the multiple headlines of the incident that had happened at a train track downtown this morning with a villain and Kamui Woods and Mount Lady, and the next headline that caught his interest was a headline of himself. Or rather, of One for All.

_One for All continues with his pursuit of villainy and is victorious once again!_

Izuku smiled, looking at the picture that looked like it had been taken from his own camera - must have been a screenshot from his droid's camera feed. It was a good one though. His attention was drawn back to the other article, however. He had missed it because he was finishing up a loose end online and doing some research. His stream had officially ended at 6:18am, but he had continued doing some research until he had to get to school. He had to go from the Murderfort to school so it was a different route and even if he did happen to pass by that area, he was already running late so he either would have missed it or he wouldn't have had the time to stop.

Izuku decided he could read and look through everything once he got home. He had things he needed to do, after all. His mother was getting worried and a bit suspicious of his behaviour recently. He didn't necessarily need to do his research at his base, he could do it at home. David had actually been the last person on his list for the week and since it hadn't been a full two weeks, perhaps he could take a little break… He could have a few days to himself to get himself sorted. He could do some research, spend some time with his mother, make sure he was all caught up on his schoolwork and do some in advance so he wouldn't have to worry about falling behind if he got too busy with being One for All, edit his site and reply to his fans and just have an overall break for a few days. Surely his viewers wouldn't mind him just having a little break… Besides, he still had to complete the villain profiles for next week.

Besides, he still had to complete the villain profiles for next week.

Izuku began to pack up. He was about to put his Hero notebook in his bag when it was taken from his hands. Confused and slightly relieved at himself for switching his books out earlier, he looked up to see Bakugo, holding up his notebook in one hand and staring at him with an intensity that made Izuku tense. He still wasn't done, then.

"We're not done talking yet, Deku," Bakugo hissed, glaring down at him. Izuku's eyes swep the class hopelessly, already knowing that even if there was someone still here, they wouldn't help him. He was alone. (He always was.) The class was empty except for Bakugo's two friends - lackeys, really - and themselves. Perhaps he should be somewhat glad for that. It was less humiliating when they weren't many people around. If it was in front of the entire class again... Izuku was fairly sure the humiliation would never stop eating at him and giving him more insecurities. He already couldn't look his classmates in the eyes.

"Katsuki, what's that?" One of Bakugo's minions asked, gesturing to Izuku's notebook. He was one of Bakugo's more loyal lackeys, having been with him since childhood - while Izuku himself was tossed away. (Always thrown away.)

(Ever so worthless.)

Bakugo held up Izuku's notebook so his friend could see. The letters scribbled on the front page read; _Hero Analysis for the Future #14. _Izuku had gone through quite a few notebooks in his time. While he needed to log villains as One for All, taking notes on heroes had always been a hobby of his. Nevertheless, it was also somewhat necessary since not all heroes were on his side and preferred to arrest him - meaning Izuku would need to know what he was up against. His adventure as One for All had lead to him encountering heroes he never would have heard of before or seen on the news and the first hand experience had given him more detail on what to write his notes about. He had even encountered Eraserhead himself a couple of times! He barely got away but that was besides the point. Eraserhead was amazing in person. He had ended up fanboying while fighting Eraserhead - who was less than amused - and he still continued his rant all the way back to the Murderfort. Eraserhead was one of the few heroes to gain One for All's approval and respect. Not many heroes had that privilege. It turns out that having his favour had also drawn attention to said heroes - much to Eraserhead's chargin, however. One for All had asked everyone to respect Eraserhead's privacy and leave him be. For the most part, attention was drawn away from him as per his request, but there were, of course, still some stranglers that just had to know more about the Underground Hero that captured One for All's attention and respect on only their first meeting. It usually took a couple of meetings for One for All to genuinely and completely respect a Hero, even sometimes going as far as to step aside when asked by said hero. due to that very same respect.

"Huh? 'Hero analysis for the future'? Seriously?!" The brown haired student burst into laughter upon reading the title and for a moment, shame overtook Izuku before he pushed the ugly feeling away and glared his classmate. No, he would not be ashamed. Not of this. They could not make him ashamed of this. He wouldn't be. This was something important to him. (The scars make you who you are. Don't be ashamed.)

(The hope helps you continue forward.)

"Midoriya…!" He wheezed, still laughing.

Izuku stood up, not intending to take this. They could laugh at him, fine. But he wouldn't let them make him feel ashamed of a hobby he had had for years. "I-it's fine, isn't it? Give it back!" There was nothing wrong with him doing this! Why did it have to matter to them what he wrote down and what he did? It's not like it affected their lives! If Bakugo wanted to get into U.A., then fine! That was his decision! But Izuku's notebook wasn't going to interfere with that, so what was the point of taking it from him? Izuku made a swipe for his notebook but Bakugo easily dodged his attempts and took a step back.

Before Izuku could make another attempt for his notebook, Bakugo slammed his fist onto the cover, his Quirk activating and exploding right on his notebook and he ne_eded that - oh god no, he seriously needed that - Kacchan, what have you **done**? _

Izuku stood there, speechless for a long moment. He didn't know what to say. Even if he did, how could he say it? He needed his analysis for when he went after his next villains - all the heroes in that area that may interfere and pose a threat to his operation. Even if he already remembered most of it, there were still parts he hadn't entirely memorised and he needed it for his Admins so they could help him while he was out and couldn't access his database and oh god, what was he going to do? He needed to fix this somehow- Bakugo threw his notebook out of the window behind him. A small scream ripped from Izuku's throat as he watched his notebook fly out the window, almost in slow motion.

He practically flung himself at the window, attempting to reach his notebook in time, not even bothering to hide his speed as he did so. His fingers grazed the edges of his notebook but he was too late to actually grab onto a part of the notebook to catch it. Izuku looked out the window, trying to see where his notebook was headed. Okay, maybe this wasn't so bad. Maybe the damage wasn't too bad. Perhaps he could fix this. He knew most of the notes anyway, right? He could rewrite some of them... Surely the damage wouldn't be too bad - he could fix any of the damage that-

His notebook landed in the Koi pond. Izuku's face fell completely and his hope shattered in his chest for the who-knows-many-times. There was no way. He couldn't salvage that. The water would wash the ink out. All his notes... He would have to re-do. He tried to assess the damage as best as he could. How far behind schedule would this put him? How far? How many hours? Days? _Weeks_? How much damage? How far had he gone with his notes? The thought of relaxing for a few days to finally get himself to shatter flew right out that window with his notebook. How much hard work had he just lost? How long would it take to re-do it all? And to then continue where he left off, digitalise, compartmentalise, organise, and plan? His admins needed that so they could finish off their part of the work One for All had assigned to them. How far back had he just been set? How far?

Considering that the work itself hadn't actually been completed, meaning he hadn't digitalised and compartmentalised it into his database, it also hadn't been sent to his admins which means once he did manage to re-do it all and get back on track, he would have to send it to his admins and he didn't know for sure how long they would take to do their part - it depended on their own schedule. Sometimes they got it done with a few hard working hours, other time it would take up a few days since extra information would be hard to find and they had to make sure it was thorough. Or if they couldn't find out much about the Hero's most recent daily routine, it would take a few extra days. Any mistake could be fatal in that aspect. If he was with a villain, he couldn't rush the votes and he couldn't make the decision himself. He'd have to hold off heroes and probably police too until the votes were up. And during that time, more heroes and officers would be on their way and he'd be so compromised he may not be able to do what the public wanted of him. Could he risk doing his job without all the information on the heroes? It was doable but a great risk. But at the same time, Izuku wasn't entirely sure he had the time to make up for everything that Bakugo had just _thoughtlessly_ _destroyed_.

Izuku's attention unintentionally shifted to the sound of footsteps coming up behind him. He turned around to see Bakugo approaching him with a glare. "Most top first-string heroes have stories about them from their school days. I want the shine of being able to be called the only student to make it into U.A. from this mediocre city junior high school. I mean… I'm a perfectionist." Bakugo put his hand on Izuku's shoulder, smoke rising. "So anyway," Bakugo gave him a fake but somewhat menacing smile. "Don't apply to U.A., nerd."

Izuku searched his brain for something, anything to say. Come on, he should be able to do this by now! He always had something to say as One for All! So why was it whenever he was just ordinary, Quirkless, Midoriya Izuku, - Deku - he could never say anything? That no retorts left his lips? No sassy remarks or dead memes? Why did he have no response? There were so many things he should, _could_, say, but never did. Why? _Why_, dammit? Why was he always so scared and meek when he wasn't One for All?

(A man is least truthful when he speaks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth.)

"Come on, you should at least say something back," The nicest of Bakugo's two lackeys said (they were all mean but whatever), as they walked away. He almost looked sympathetic but Izuku knew far better than that. He wasn't actually sorry about it. He looked slightly amused himself and he had a look of pity on his face, like staring at something that couldn't do anything on its own but it wasn't actually a tragedy, more of a 'only on your mind when its in front of you' kind of look. Out of sight, out of mind, after all.

"Don't say that. He's pathetic. He still can't face reality," The other one snickered, looking back at Izuku with a smile, clearly laughing at his misery. He obviously enjoyed it. He always did. He had stood by Bakugo's side since they were kids and always had a _hand _in tormenting him. Izuku hated himself for his own pun at such a moment.

Bakugo stopped at the door and looked back. "If you wanna be a hero that badly, there's a quick way to do it. Believe that you'll be born with a Quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof!" He sneered. Izuku froze, paling. What-how? Why? How could he say something like that? How could he say something like that _and_ try to be a hero? Someone who saves people? Someone who tells them that it's going to be alright because they were going to be okay? That they just had to hold on a little longer and they would be safe again? Yet how could Bakugo say something that stands against everything a hero is supposed to stand for?

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Izuku whispered harshly, the words coming out of his throat before he could stop them - not that he wanted to. He just stared at his childhood friend, not believing that this was what he was now. A hero to-be and he just...told someone to kill themselves? What kind of hero...?

Explosions lit up Bakugo's hand, his face was twisting into a more angry and scary glare. "What was that, Deku?" He hissed dangerously. Not even slightly intimidated now, Izuku continued staring at him in disbelief, unable to comprehend.

"That's what I thought," Bakugo sneered, turning on his heel and walking out of the door. Izuku stared at the door for a few more moments, completely dumbfounded and appalled. It took Izuku another couple of minutes to collect himself and then get his stuff and leave that cursed classroom.

~~~Memey Murderboi~~~

Izuku let out a sigh as he walked home, trying to forget the events of earlier. He flipped through his notebook, checking the damage. For the most part, there really wasn't all too much damage, aside from the cover and the first page. Well, actually, that's a lie. Its trip into the water had done quite a bit of damage too. At the very least, he remembered that he at least uploaded the most important pages into his database in case anything ever happened to this notebook. His other notebooks were already fully updated so he didn't have to worry about that, at least. But this notebook hadn't been fully updated so he had still lost a bit. On the bright side, he hadn't lost as much as he thought he did, so he could probably get back on track soon enough. _Though_, he sighed, _it still meant he wasn't going to be having a few days to himself. _Even if he did have his digital logs, they weren't nearly as personal or sentimental as his notebooks. His notebooks held a sort of special place in his heart. They were like, his origin. The bright side to having a digital database was that he could find official pictures of heroes and villains wherever and whenever he could and add those to the files. It seemed like a good idea - to have his own personal drawings and the actual official pictures or sightings.

Nowadays though, he only really had time to work on his villain database. Writing and analysing heroes was honestly more of a hobby of his if anything. It was useful, most definitely, especially when he came face to face with said heroes but the villains were the ones he had to watch out for the most. His notes were detailed and once he was satisfied with the notes and profiles he had made, he would upload them to his site and add them to a list. He only ever added five villains at a time, however. He didn't want every villain he was investigating to know he was onto them and spook them. He'd upload five villains every two weeks and his viewers would choose which ones he goes after first. They decided which order he'd go after them in - usually by who they wanted gone the most to who they could wait a few more days to get rid of. It was a bit annoying, considering that quite a few villains - the smarter ones, anyways - had started checking his site to see if their name was on his list and if it was, they'd get a headstart. Izuku supposed it didn't matter. He had managed to catch them all so far. He tried to stop the Pokemon theme from playing in his head but he failed epically and the song practically blast through his brain cells and took over his every thought. His mind quickly switched back to the matter at hand once he got it out of his system.

Sometimes they got away but Izuku always found them in the end. The longer a villain has ever managed to evade him for was about 6 months. It was more of a game of catch and mouse during those months and his followers had an absolutely wonderful time laughing at him. They were probably just as upset as him about losing the villain, but the more chill ones had made jokes out of it and of course, memes. Izuku was more than aware of the many memes made of and about him, as well as the fanpages - which he followed every one of.

Izuku's senses snapped him back to reality the second his ears heard a bang. He quickly looked around, noting that he was passing under the tunnel he usually did. He spun around, noticing sludge rising up from a hole - the manhole? - in the ground. The sewer, he realised. The giant blob of sludge began to take more of a shape, looking down at him with eyes and Izuku froze, horror filling him. He didn't have any of his gear! His camera! Anything! He only had his school supplies. As the sludge grew bigger, Izuku took several quick and long steps back, his mind racing. He didn't dare try to run - if he turned his back on what was clearly a villain for even a second, he'd be a goner. What could he use? He had some pens and pencils but those weren't really weapon materials and he doubted stabbing sludge with a pen would do much damage. Perhaps if he had a body it'd at least hurt just enough that it'd do something - a distraction, at best. What else? His hero notebooks, his One for All notes, which were tucked into his bag. No, that wouldn't help him. He couldn't use them as a physical weapon and he already knew everything in there, obviously. He went through his memory, trying to remember if he had done any research on this villain before. Nothing came to behind. Izuku's breath hitched. There had to be something - something! He couldn't be this useless. He had made himself strong. (You're only strong with support.)

(That's not true strength.)

(Weak, Quirkless loser.)

(Pathetic.)

(You can't do anything.)

(You'll always need help.)

What kind of attacks could he use? Izuku couldn't be sure but his body looked more liquid than it did solid. He could try to fight it off but his attacks wouldn't do much against it. Okay, so. A liquid. How would you fight a liquid? Heat. Electricity. Capture it. Secure it. He couldn't do any of that right now. He couldn't do _anything_-

He was out of time.

The green slime hurtled into him, instantly knocking the oxygen out of Izuku's lungs. He gasped for breath, only for something solid- liquid? - He didn't know to stop his attempts at refilling his lungs. It forced its way down his throat, suffocating him. Izuku struggled, grasping at the slime, trying to pull it away from him but to no avail. He couldn't get a grip on it and every second he went without oxygen sent his brain and body into panic. Unable to think straight anymore, Izuku went into a blind panic, clawing and gripping at the slime wherever he could. It didn't amount to anything regardless how hard he tried and how much he struggled. His vision began to darken and his body weaken. Vaguely, he could swear the slime was talking but he couldn't hear a thing.

Then, the next thing he knew, the slime was suddenly gone and he was being blast by a gust of wind. Izuku's eyes fluttered open, not even sure when he had shut them, his eyes making out a hazy figure. His mind couldn't process it. It didn't register in his head, even as he smashed into the ground and everything went dark for him.

~~~Memey Murderboi~~

Kindly R&R. It helps me with motivation with writing and it also offers opinions on what you guys think of OFA which can make my story more realistic and give it more view points in terms of the stream and followers and such. Much thanks and I hope you guys are all enjoying your day!

\- EE


	4. I Hoped To One Day Meet You

_It had been an accident. _

_He hadn't meant to click on the forum. Yet, he accidentally did. You could say that's how it all started. Some would say it was a brilliant mistake, others would wish it never happened._

_Izuku blinked as his computer began to load up the forum. It was a very popular one, a debate about... Well, multiple things. It was supposed to be about Heroes and Villains but obviously, some debates tended to stray a bit. It was all over the place, really. Deciding that he might as well see what it was about, he tried to make sense of the rapidly appearing messages on his screen. _

_It took a few minutes for Izuku to actually understand what was going on but once he did, he was fairly intrigued on the subject. People were discussing what should happen to villains once they were captured. Some said that the government should bring in the death penalty. Some said they should change the death penalty so villains wouldn't be kept alive for several years before being killed. Others were arguing against it and the immortality of it all. Some said that the system was fine the way it was now, just that the police and heroes needed more funding - that the prisons needed better funding and the guards needed better training to stop any outbreaks. Some even said that the current system was fine, but there should be additional punishments in prison. Quite a few people were upset about villains seemingly getting away with a 'weak punishment' for their crimes or about the villains managing to escape from prison and getting away. _

_Izuku read through the forum slowly, ignoring the new messages as they came and focusing on reading through it. It was interesting - their opinions. Everyone had so many things to say, so much to express that Izuku knew that even though it all seemed so expressive through a screen, their messages would be so much more emotional when face to face. The longer he read, the more he picked up. For the most part, it looked like the forum had been fueled by anger. That people were mad about villains getting off too light for their crimes but the longer that Izuku the read, the more he realised he was initially wrong. That wasn't quite it. He could see it, read it between the lines, pick it up in their language and expressive writing. They were scared, hurt, upset. Scared that they would lose someone close to them, that someone else would get hurt, upset that there wasn't anything they could do, that they felt as though they weren't truly being listened to. Hurt that some heroes and officials didn't seem to take their concerns seriously, that some of the heroes were just in it for the money and fame, that they didn't really care and honestly couldn't care less. Others were relieved, having been saved by heroes themselves, or having met heroes and feeling as though they were trying their best. But others, despite knowing that, were still scared. Villains were rising quickly and with power and even as heroes and the police force put their best effort in, they wouldn't be able to stop every villain out there. That the number of villains was beginning to outnumber the officers. That society was outrun and the good was outnumbered by the bad. Too many villains were appearing and despite the law's best efforts, they couldn't stop it, no matter what they did. No one could stop it. _

_All Might had quite a presence in the chat, Izuku noticed. He was used as a counter-argument fairly often. Ever since he had appeared, the crime rate all over the world had dropped. But there was still worry - so much fear. All Might was only one man and he was not immortal. He could only be in one place at once and despite how powerful he is, he is only one person and one person could only do so much. When All Might would undoubtingly retire or even, **die**, what would happen to the world then? All Might was the symbol of peace. No one else even came close to being such a steady figure in the world as much as All Might. He would have to eventually fade from this world and when that day happened, what would happen then? The crime rate would increase again and it'd be much worse. The powerful, steady figure that kept the balance and peace would be gone and the next generations wouldn't have a symbol to inspire them and keep the crime rate lowered. _

_When All Might was gone, what would happen to the world then?_

_Izuku himself had never once put thought into what would happen if All Might retired or died. It had never crossed his mind. All Might was always such a powerful and ever-lasting impression in his mind and life that he had never thought it was possible for the man to disappear from the world. A world without All Might... It was a terrifying thought. The world would likely be hideous and that's what people were worried about. There was no one to take over All Might's place when he was gone. No one to maintain the balance and peace as All Might had. _

_It had been that thought that motivated a drive in Izuku somewhere, to do something. To ensure that someone would one day take over as a symbol and keep the peace. He didn't know how or who. He just knew he had to find a way to settle the fears that these people felt. _

_That had been how it began. An accidental click and then a thought._

_Soon enough, then came the idea._

_~~~Memey Murderboi~~~_

Izuku Midoriya was many things. A coward was not one of them. He always told himself there was a difference between not speaking back and being a coward. He always thought it was the more mature thing to not say anything back. To not dignify a bully with a response. To not give them the reaction they wanted. But sometimes, he found himself doubting that thought. Sometimes he even found himself disregarding it. About three or four times. He remembers each one clearly. Each memory was vivid. When Bakugo pushed him just a _little_ too far and Izuku had been the one to throw the first punch. Within the past three years, Izuku had about four fistfights with his childhood friend. He tried to dignify it, it was self-defence, it had been Kacchan's fault for constantly trying to put him down, he was protecting himself, he couldn't sit back and listen to him anymore. Not everyone listened to him. Some said he was doing it for the attention, that he was some sort of psycho due to not having a Quirk. Others said he was pushed too far, that he felt too vulnerable and it caused him to lash out.

Honestly, Izuku was just tired of it all. He didn't have to take Kacchan's insults and jeers. The snickers and laughs that followed him. The degrading insults that were thrown at him. He tried to do something about it. Fight back. But it didn't stop anything. It all just continued, giving his classmates and haters more ammo. So he stopped. He stopped fighting back in hopes they'd stop fighting. He stopped listening. He stopped caring.

Then One for All got so popular and he decided he couldn't ignore the masses. He had to listen to what they said. Their opinions, their thoughts, their voices, he had to listen to it all. He was their voice. To be their voice, he had to listen to them. He had to hear them.

Then came the knives.

The words that felt like knives in his chest, the hands that strangled him, the words that repeated in his brain like a broken record. He started caring too much and god knows that Izuku always had a big heart that cared far too much for this own good. Once he started caring again, he couldn't stop. Then everything was so overwhelming. Every comment, every blog, every post, every video, every reply, all of it. All of it mattered. He had to listen to it all. He had to. He had to ensure they were heard. If they saw or noticed a flaw within him, he had to fix it. He had to do something about it. It would be all he thought about until he fixed it. He wasn't interacting with his fans enough? Izuku would stream at least 5 days a week. He wasn't active enough? He'd go after even more villains. He didn't speak enough? He would allow himself to chatter and mutter every subject he could. He always had a mumbling problem anyway. He wasn't fast or strong enough? Izuku trained as much as he could, pushing his body past its limit until he was good enough in their eyes. He wasn't trustworthy because he wasn't a pro hero? He streamed his _every single_ move to prove himself, regardless of the danger and disadvantage it caused.

Everything mattered. Every word said. Every comment. Every insult. Every compliment. Every wish. Every request. He listened to everything. Regardless of how heavily it all suffocated him, regardless of how it chipped away at him **every _single_ waking _moment_**. (Sometimes, he wasn't even awake when it chipped at him, breaking him down into smaller pieces.)

He cared far too much and it was his fatal flaw.

~~~Memey Murderboi~~~

"Hey!" A hand repeatedly but gently whacking his face sturred him from unconsciousness. Izuku groaned, his body feeling stiff and weird. He probably hasn't slept recently again but... There was something different. A pain that shouldn't be there because of sleep deprivation.

"Hey! Hey!" The whacking continued, startling Izuku out of his thoughts and realising there was indeed something wrong. Crap, please don't tell him he fell asleep mid-stream...

He jolted up, not even thinking as he cried; "And that's how you get knocked unconscious by something you don't even remember!" He quickly looked around, taking in his surroundings and noting the very familiar area. Wait, this was... His brain kicked into overdrive, still not fully recovered from having such little rest. He was on the road, right by the bridge. This was on his way home... Did he pass out from not taking care of himself or something? It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

"Hey! Thought I lost you there!" Once more, Izuku startled at the voice, remembering that he wasn't alone. He looked towards the source and his heart-stopping beating in chest, his breath stuck in his throat and everything just stopped as his eyes took in who was staring at him. Izuku didn't believe what his eyes were telling him. All Might was here. There was no way his childhood (and still) idol was here. Right in front of him.

"Ho-wha... what?" Izuku shook his head, blinked a few times and then looked again. All Might was still here. What in the name of...

Izuku froze, his blood turning to ice and his muscles tensing. Please, please don't be here because he figured who Izuku was and was here to bring him down. Anything, anything but that, please. Already having the police on his tail was bad enough, but having All Might too? Oh heavens no, he would never get out of that. Not a chance.

His mind ever so helpfully finally remembered what had happened before he passed out. He gasped, looking towards the tunnel. The villain! The attack! Izuku jolted upwards, standing up lightning-fast, only to lose his balance from his too fast movement, the world tilting as he went straight back down again.

To his surprise, very big and strong arms caught him, holding him steady and stopping his scheduled meeting with the floor. "Easy there! Wouldn't want to make yourself sick, would you? Take it easy, young man! The danger is gone! Why?!" All Might laughed boisterously as he set Izuku back down on the ground again, who gratefully sagged down, realising his mistake. "Because I am here!"

"How...are you here?" Izuku dumbly asked, staring up at his idol, not truly believing what he was seeing. Last he had heard of the symbol, he was in America, helping break down a major drug ring. Due to the size and importance of the operation, not much about the hero's whereabouts had been shared but if Izuku remembered correctly, it had been dealt with. How much of it was dealt with, he wasn't sure. But if All Might was here, then it must have been taken or something. Right? He wasn't sure and either if he was, Izuku still couldn't process the thought of his lifetime idol being right in front of him after saving him from that sludge villain. Now that he thought about it, however, he seriously needed to get his act together. He was a wreck recently and if he didn't get his shit together, he was going to end up getting himself killed. Hell, if it hadn't been for - he still couldn't believe it - All Might, he would have been as good as dead because Izuku was too busy throwing himself a pity party to do something about anything. But still, what was All Might doing here and honestly, what were the odds of it?

"I was passing by and couldn't help but notice the villain doing some wrongdoings! Unfortunately, I made a mistake and had to chase him through the sewage system! It was quite a mess and I'm ashamed I lost him. In that time, he attacked you and I deeply apologise!" The large smile was ever present on All Might's face as he moved around dramatically to empathize his points. Izuku never really realised how amusing it was to watch.

"Uh... That's okay, All Might. I'm just glad you're here," Izuku muttered, slowly lifting himself up as he regained his composure. He seriously needed to stop pitying himself, it wasn't getting him anywhere. Plus, it was getting boring. He could only hate himself so much before he got sick of it - actually, that was a lie, but whatever.

"I'll be sure to be faster next time! It won't happen again, I assure you! Are you feeling okay, young man?" All Might asked and Izuku took a second to simply just breathe and gather his thoughts. There were so many thoughts racing through his head but he knew from experience that time wasn't something that a hero, vigilante or villain had. He needed to condense literally years of thoughts into a few sentences.

"I'm fine, um," okay, his brain was literally melting in his skull, this was not good. Okay, what was the one thing he wanted to know more than anything? Even if he had already answered it himself, what was it? His mind halted to a stop, his memories going back to that one moment in time that had created him. The lingering question that everyone feared the answer to and didn't have a proper answer for. One of the main questions that had started this phase of his life.

"What happens to the world when you're gone?" Izuku asked, his voice quieting and his face adopting a more serious expression. This, this question, was what he needed to know more than anything. What the world needed to know. Everyone feared the day that All Might disappeared and what would happen to the world then. There was a pretty big chance that All Might himself didn't know - after all, even with the man's power, he couldn't see the future (or could he?) - so perhaps this question didn't have an answer. Well, it would have an answer eventually. The world would find out when All Might disappeared but Izuku wanted to know what All Might himself thought. What the topic of all these conversations and questions thought. What his opinion was. Because he was, after all, still a person with a opinion he deserved to share. Hero or not. Symbol of peace or not.

All Might froze, muscles tensing - clenching? releasing? His muscles were so _big, _Izuku couldn't even tell - and his smile dimmed slightly as he focused his attention on the boy in front of him. For a moment, it was silent between the two, leaves and cherry blossoms rustling through the air. Izuku held his breath. The one question he wanted answered more than anything. He may finally get an answer now. Without the entirety of the public or a massive audience present, All Might would be able to speak more freely. At least, he hoped so.

"May I ask what you mean, young man?" All Might responded. His voice no longer held the cheerful joy and excitement that it did earlier. His voice was now calm, steady and curious. Izuku sucked in a breath, getting the oxygen back into his lungs and taking a quick, simple moment to gather his thoughts. He locked his gaze on his all-time favourite's heroes -eyes? irisies? Izuku couldn't even _tell._

"You are the symbol of peace. The crime rate has lowered ever since you debuted as All Might. You've been a steady presence in the world for many years now but as strong as you are, I doubt you are immortal, All Might. Do you know what will happen to the world once you're gone? What's your, uh, opinion?" Izuku asked steadily, keeping his voice as calm as he could manage. He did pretty good until the end, when he voice wavered on opinion. All in all, Izuku would say he did well. He got his point across. All Might stared at him, his smile dimmed but still present. He looked like he was thinking. Izuku took a brief moment to wonder if his cheeks ever hurt from all that smiling. His face muscles must be stronger than his arms, jeez.

"I do not know for sure, young man," All Might finally started, looking as though he was choosing his words closely. At least, that's what it looked like to Izuku - All Might was quite hard to read. "The world will continue and both villains and heroes will rise. I like to think that even without me, the world shall continue to strive. The people around the world are strong and resilient, so I'm sure you will find a way to continue and make up for my absence."

Izuku... wasn't sure what to do with that answer. Sure, he had thought of countless possible replies but finally knowing what All Might himself thought was... different. It was fulfilling. He thought the world would find a way to continue without him and maybe that is true. Maybe it's not. They wouldn't know until it happened. But, for now, Izuku was sure he had everything he needed. Izuku bowed low to his idol.

"Thank you very much, All Might," he spoke lowly, running the answer over in his mind repeatedly, reassured by the fact that he at least had an answer. He didn't have any hopes or expectations for what All Might would say or think, so he wasn't disappointed or relieved. He was just glad he got an answer and for now, that would be enough. "I hope we meet again one day." Izuku straightened up, smiling softly.

Something in All Might's gaze seemed like he was contemplating something. But then he nodded, his smile widening. He held up a thumb. "Have a nice day, young man and stay safe!" Without even waiting for a response, the hero jumped into the air and took off. Izuku stumbled back from the force of the wind, covering his face with his arms to stop anything from getting into his eyes. Once the wind cleared down, he looked to the spot where All Might was standing beforehand and looked up to the sky, watching his hero's figure disappearing.

Izuku breathed out a sigh, his head spinning. He had his answer now but he wasn't even sure what to do with it. For now, he'd just have to think it over and he would come to his own answer soon enough. Izuku sent one last fleeting glance to his hero's disappearing figure before grabbing his stuff and making his way home.

* * *

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, writer's block. Hope y'all enjoy. R&R?


	5. Partners in Crime

One for All is singing. Or at least, trying to. It's more like he's yelling out the lyrics while running, out of breath and very, very out of sync. He's doing his best. Sue him. He's currently chasing two villains - a couple, actually. So, he found it appropriate to sing an English song 'Partners in Crime'. The song had been covered by a Japan artist and One for All had taken to it. So, as he chases these two villains through the allies, he's belting out the lyrics to 'Partners in Crime' and his followers are probably wanting to kill him. Although a quick glance at his phone reveals there's an equal amount enjoying his horrible singing.

"LEFT UNAWARE THAT THE LONE STORE OWNER WON'T GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT! _WHERE WE GONNA GO?!" _He's literally screeching the lyrics now as he tumbles over a bin and jumps over a bag full of rubbish. "HE'S GOT US PINNED! _BABY, I'M A LITTLE SCARED. _NOW DON'T YOU QUIIIIIT," And One for All has decided that his is most definitely his solo even though the song should technically be about the villains he's chasing. But, whatever. He quite likes switching between voices to pretend to be the different singers. The cover was a duet so pretending to be both singers is quite interesting.

"Shut the hell up!" One of the villains scream - Senguuji, if he recalls correctly. His partner in crime is known as Yuri. A villain couple, how sweet. Even villains could love. But One for All was not done with his song so he was going to keep singing. He vaulted over a fence, using the momentum to propel him forward and the boost is enough to throw him forward just enough that he's able to tackle Yuri to the ground. She shrieks in outrage as she goes down and Senguuji screeches to a halt, probably to help his beloved. Yeah, most likely because now he's sprinting toward One for All. Yikes.

"We'll live like spoiled royalty! Lovers and partners! PARTNERS IN CRIME!" And yeah, One for All may have left himself get a little too distracted with that line because a third villain has appeared from god knows where and One for All only notices because he's swinging a freaking mace down towards his face. He jumps away in time, stopping his terrible singing in favour of survival. It's a cruel move, he realises a little late, as he watches the mace swing downwards and hit the female villain straight on the back. There's a horrifyingly loud _crack!_ and a following scream of pain and One for All winces slightly. He probably should have helped her but he has to remember - he's not a hero. He's not a villain either, but still. He's supposed to be in the grey line. There's also the fact that One for All doesn't have a quirk and with exactly 0.03 seconds to move, he didn't really have the time to actually do anything more than dodge himself. Senguuji is instantly enraged and is now attacking the new villain and-wait, what?

Okay... So, they weren't friends then. Or maybe they were and that friendship ended the second the mace hit Yuri. Who knows? One for All debates jumping into the fight, watching it from the sidelines quietly. After a few seconds, he decides it's not worth it. Honestly, it looked like they were going to do his work for him and take each other out. That would save him some time. Instead, One for All directs his attention to Yuri, who is now unconscious on the ground and bleeding from the spikes on the mace. Ducking away from the fight of a mace versus a smoke Quirk, One for All kneels next to Yuri and quickly assesses her injuries.

It doesn't look as though it had directly hit her spinal cord, which is good. So, she wasn't paralyzed. He pokes at her back as softly as he can, trying to gather an accurate profile of her injuries. Broken ribs, without a doubt. Probably going to bruise to all hell. It didn't look as though she needed stitches- wait, scratch that. Three of the injuries from the spike may need stitches.

"I'm not an official doctor or anything, but this looks like it's gon need some stitches," One for All hummed, his eyes raking over the injury. He carefully lifts Yuri's shirt up a bit so he can actually assess the situation better. Once he's lifted her shirt up a bit, he confirms his earlier assessment. Yep, stitches may be a bit necessary.

A cry and a thud attracted his attention, causing his head to snap up with alert eyes. Senguuji was down, eyes closed and blood beginning to leak from his hair. Most have gotten hit around the head. He notices the other villain begin to lift his mace up, probably to finish Senguuji off but this time, One for All is actually prepared and will _not _let this happen while he actually has the time to stop it. He jumps up, pointing his right hand towards the unnamed villain - who is incredibly big with muscles literally bigger than One for All's skull and dark skin and some serious tattoos - and quickly presses one of the buttons on his metal bracelet. Immediately, a wire shoots out and attaches itself to the villain, electricity going through the line and stunning him. While it startles the villain at first, it's not having much effect and now the villain is looking directly at _him_ and ho_ly crap those muscles are so big-_

One for All quickly presses another feature, which shoots out all of the stored electricity in his invention out at once. This time it has an effect because the man screams, body shaking and the mace drops to the ground with a loud clank and _would you look at that,_ the mace is _also_ bigger than his head, and the villains falls to his knees, eyes wide and a gurgled gasp leaving his lips as his body shakes. He falls forward, his body spasming and One for All breathes out a sigh of relief, releasing the pressure and the wire zips back to where it belongs. One for All sags, the tension leaving his body as he looks around at the villains around him.

"Huh. Well. I didn't even have to _do _anything today, they took each other out! Not that I'm complaining, it makes my life easier," One for All muttered, checking the comments on his stream and smiled. His viewers were panicking as usual while others were cheering him on. "You guys worry too much. I didn't get hurt at all today!" Well, he got a scratch or two earlier from the other villains he went after earlier today. He was trying to catch up on is schedule since he was behind and with the three villains he had in front of him, he now had taken down a wonderful total of six villains. He had reached his quota for the day and he'd say he was back on schedule. Sorta. He still kinda needed to do the trail, figure out who the hell this guy was - yay, extra work! - and find that last villain he was supposed to go after today. He couldn't let him get away just because he caught someone else in his place.

One for All left out a happy huff, placing his hands on his hips as he looked around him. Okay, he was going to need some rope so he could get this trail started. He checked the comments.

Viewers: 5,937.

_DUDE ARE YOU OKAY?_

_I love your singing so much! Please sing for us more!_

_did that guy really have a fucking mACE?_

_how did he win? senguuji sould have won with his smoke quirk?_

_luv u ofa 3_

_¡Te amo, eres un gran héroe! ¡One For All!_

_ayyy they did all the work 4 u_

_LOVERS AND PARTNERS, **PARTNERS IN CRIME!**_

_Are we starting the trail?_

_my guy. my one for all. my hero. my gUY. ARE YOU OKA Y? BE OKAU AND AVOID THAT WEAPON. pls and thank you 33333_

_Okay, but, where did that other guy come from? What are you gonna do with him? Hand him over to the Police?_

One for All stopped reading the comments after that, the last question having caught his attention. He began tying the villains up, running through the options in his head meanwhile. Admittedly, he didn't know who this villain was or where he came from. He was dangerous without a doubt - after all, what civilian went around carrying a mace and swinging at random people? Regardless, he couldn't hold a trail for him until he knew who he was. And given the circumstances, that wasn't exactly possible. He didn't half-ass his trails and the information he gathered. To hold a trail, he needed accurate and current information, which meant he wouldn't be able to hold a trail for him now. He couldn't get enough information right now so... He sighed.

So he'd have to either release him, find the accurate information on him, find him again and then hold a trail. Or, he could hand him over to the Police and they could keep him contained until One for All was ready, or they would keep him in holding if they had anything on him. Both had their own individual risks. But, One For All decided, releasing him would be too risky. He might try to escape and while One for All was good with finding things, he wasn't good at following people - he didn't like to leave his city too much. He was only fourteen, after all. So he would have to hand him over to the Police and keep an eye on what the Police did with him. He seriously hoped he wouldn't be put in Witness Protection to be used against him. While some officers were on his side, not all of them were, which meant there was still some who wanted him put away. Buuuuuut, all they had to do was watch this stream to see that this guy attacked him first for no visible reason - he probably knew who he was.

"Alright, let's get this trail started!"

~~~Memey Boi~~~

One for All leaned against the door, shaking. Yuri was sent to prison and Senguuji was put to death. Senguuji was the main criminal with the blood on his hands. One for All had even managed to dig up some video footage as evidence for their crimes, which oly further proved Senguuji was the main villain. Yuri seemed as though she had just gone along for the ride - it turns out the two were married long before they became villains. A happily married couple and then one began to become a villain. Yuri, in all her devotion, had followed him and walked the path of villainy with him. Admittedly, killing her loved one was probably going to persuade her to become a real villain and motivate her to come for his head.

_Love, huh?_

He took a deep breath and released it. He took a few more to ensure he was okay and wasn't going to break down. Once he was sure he was okay, he turned on his camera, starting another stream. He was going to keep on track and on schedule.

"Love is some powerful shit, huh?" He asked to the silence. His wrist beeped in confirmation that the stream was running and people were beginning to click onto his stream. One for All hummed, walking further into his beloved Murderfort and to his desk which housed his multiple screens and to the side, bits and bops and pieces of his latest invention/gadget. He was sort of experimenting with what he was doing now, sort of seeing what he would eventually come up with. He usually built things while streaming to talk with his followers.

His mind wandered back to Yuri and he couldn't help but wonder. What it have been a mercy to have just killed her too? They were both unconscious when the trail commenced so she hadn't had to go through the trauma of watching, but it wasn't like what One for All did was a secret - he had streamed it live onto the internet. Which meant that it would always be out there. She may one day see it. Even if she didn't, she would wake up with the news she was likely going to prison - One for All made sure to leave a flashdrive with evidence behind, as he always did - and that her beloved husband was dead. Honestly, it may have just been a mercy if he killed her too. But ultimately, it wasn't up to him. It was up to the public. The votes had been close though. 500 more votes and she would have been dead too.

One for All snapped out of his thoughts and sat down at his desk. He began clearing some of the stray bits and pieces of equipment half-made or in the planning stage, humming all the while. He thought about what he should do with this stream. He had only been online for about a minute and he usually waited ten minutes before really getting into it, so people had a chance to know he was streaming.

Okay, so, first of all, he had hit his quota of villains this week and was fully back on schedule - he had gone after that last villain after Senguuji and Yuri (he had sent the man to prison for drug dealing) - and since it was nearing the end of the two week mark, he had... he checked the day. It was Thursday. He had three days to start his new plans and research some new villains - he debated just going for three villains for the next two weeks. He hadn't had much time and if he kept burning himself out the way he was doing now, he wouldn't be of use to anyone. He could take a little break, right? Not only that, but getting evidence and building villain profiles wasn't exactly as easy as he made it out to be. Plus, there was the meeting with All Might a couple of days ago...

He had some time to think about it and he decided that even with such a short answer, he could - would - do something with it. He had the answer to a question he and so many others had thought about for so a way, it was sort of obvious. But at the same time, the fear and doubt clouded a lot of people's judgement. Not only that, but All Might had been a symbol for so long that the world just couldn't imagine living without him. The world would continue after All Might and sure, it would be incredibly hard - no doubt the crime rate would rise back up and there would be a lot of deaths following, but somehow the world would find a way to continue. The world was thriving before All Might, it could continue without him. He made the world a better place and his influence would stay for a long time. All the world could really do was prepare themselves and hope for the best - fight for the best. Fight for a peaceful future.

Even without All Might, there were other heroes and other people willing to help keep the peace, they were just underappreciated. The Police - no matter how much he joked about them or people undermined them, One for All knew they worked hard -, the health services, pro and in-training heroes, the growing next generation, the government. They all had their flaws but surely, even All Might had some too - they just weren't as obvious. It was as One for All always said - perfection doesn't exist because everyone's definition will always be different and therefore, no such thing will ever exist.

It had been a few minutes now, he realised with a jolt. Snapping out of his thoughts again, he checked his desk for any stray pieces he hadn't moved, only to find it all gone. Huh, he's really good on auto pilot.

"Okay, first of all - every here needs to appreciate my singing, i's amazing and I'll fight anyone who disagrees," he started by getting that out of the way, because frankly it seemed most important. He clicked onto one of his screens, opening up his site and going through the feed.

Viewers: 1,403

_ur singing is amazing_

_Welcome back xxx_

_eh, u couldve dun better_

_SING FOR ME_

_flooofff ball. youre so fluffyyy, i love your hair so mcuh! what sc do you use?_

One for All blinked. His hair? What about it? It was the same as it usually was. SC? What was that? He thought about it for a second. Shampoo and condition, maybe? He huffed. He was _not _fluffy.

"Whoever said that, I do not have 'fluffy hair' and for what everyone else says, I am not a 'smol bean', I am a STRONG bean!" One for All huffed childishly, quickly wrestling with his own hair to get it to straighten down or something, frowning the entire time. As usual, his hair would not obey and it stayed exactly the same no matter how much he tugged and pulled. He let out a huff of indignation. Whatever.

"Anyway, moving on..."

* * *

~~~~~Memey Murderboi~~~

It was the next day a little after school that he arrived. He was quiet as he did his best to go unnoticed. He wasn't streaming, not right now but he was One for All. It was something his followers actively knew he did but didn't see - more for the privacy of the people he went to. He had mentioned it before, that he usually went to the victims that were involved with the villains to know what they thought and wanted and also to get their side of the story. Obviously, for privacy reasons, he didn't stream it or mention where he was going in case they didn't want anyone to know. If he had their permission, he would mention it, but otherwise he would stay quiet and be sure to keep names out of his recaps.

Today, he was visiting Yua and Daisuke Uraraka.(1) He was building a villain profile on an unknown villain who, so far, One for All has found guilty of fraud and tax evasion. He's been doing it for over 15 years and One for All is working to establish a timeline. The people he was about to visit probably weren't aware of it, but he had been stealing money from the company for years now and as a result, they were going bankrupt. One for All was here to likely break the unfortunate news, warn them, get their opinions and cooperation to help establish the timeline and subdue the villain, as well as get evidence for the villain's trail. His research showed that they weren't home a lot but he had been tracking them for a while now and waited for them to come back - he really didn't like leaving the city unless necessary - which was yesterday. He wanted to give them time to settle back in and spend some time with their daughter - who, if he was right, was with some friends right now and wouldn't be back for a few hours. Which gave them plenty of time.

One for All swung down onto the railing, balancing quickly and jumping down quietly. It was daytime so sneaking around was pretty hard. So he didn't bother with being super discrete, just as long as he stayed out of sight enough that people didn't bother him, it was all okay. He stood up from his crouch and walked to the door. Mentally going through the information he had collected, he knocked on the door and waited patiently. After a couple of seconds, he heard shuffling behind the door and then a moment later, the door unlocking.

"Ochaco, you're home earl-," Yua Uraraka stopped mid-sentence, freezing in surprise when she opened the door to reveal not her daughter, but One for All. He gave a friendly smile and waved, making sure his body language was passive as to not startle her.

"Hello there! Don't worry, I'm just here to talk!" He chirped brightly, hoping she didn't slam the door in his face. Admittedly, a few had done that - he leaves them alone if they didn't respond to him on a second visit. He understands sometimes people do rash things when startled and don't mean to slam the door on you, so he gives them some time to think before returning and if they still don't want him to be there, he leaves them alone with a reassurance he won't be back. He can understand not everyone supports him.

The woman looks him over and slowly recognition builds in her eyes. She looks at him in curiousity and a slight smile but One for All sees the way she tenses. He ignores it in favour of giving a bigger smile.

"Aren't you... One for All?" She asks hesitantly, her eyes drifting to the side to check for anything else. She tilts her head slightly. One for All didn't bring much with him - not even his trusty drone. Just a weapon or two for self-defense. It wouldn't do much good to show up at someone's house fully armed, now would it? He had done that once, deciding that since he did what he needed to for the day, he might as well just 'pop by' and the poor lady had begged for her life, fell to her knees and sobbed - he wasn't going to make that mistake ever again.

"I am! It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Uraraka," He greeted, keeping his voice light and friendly. He didn't want to give off the wrong impression. "Although I wish it could be under better circumstances." Hm, yes. Showing up to tell you you're slowly going bankrupt because one of the people who have worked with you for years has been stealing from you and lying right to you. Perfect way to meet someone.

"And what are these circumstances?" She continues, undeterred. One for All lets his smile shrink until it disappears into a frown. Well, here he goes. He needs to make sure he doesn't alarm her too much otherwise this will go very, very wrong.

"I'm investigating a villain and it has come to my attention that you've been unwillingly involved in his activities. He has been stealing money from your company and I think you may find it to be one of the main roots with your company's financial concerns,"(2) One for All explained gently. He had a bit of evidence with him, a couple of names but he isn't sure if it is going to be enough to convince them. Mrs Uraraka stands there for a few moments, processing what he's said and he waits patiently. A big problem with this villain is that One for All will really need their cooperation to build a case, otherwise he'll be able to get very little or nothing by his own. Which is, obviously, not good. He hates having to let villains go, but if he can't build a proper case against them, then there isn't much he can do. He's a bit like the police in that aspect, unfortunately.

Finally, Mrs Uraraka seems to come to a decision and straightens and OFA absently notices her hand is clenching tightly against the door. "Honey, can you please come here?" She calls stiffly, her eyes serious and never leaving him. One for All hears shuffling, indicating that Daisuke Uraraka is on his way. One for All just gives Mrs Uraraka a grim smile. Mr Uraraka appears in the hallway and stops when he sees them. One for All directs his grim smile towards him.

"What's going on here?" Mr Uraraka demands, voice guarded and defensive, his eyes quickly flitting between the two of them at the door. He looks towards his wife, silently asking her if she's okay through his eyes and awww, One for All really shouldn't be interpreting their private conversations through expressions but he's always been a bit nosy.

"This is One for All. He says that a villain has been stealing money from us," Mrs Uraraka explains, her tone clipped. Immediately, Mr Uraraka's position changes. The rigid, defensive position is replaced with surprise and then a dark look crosses his face.

"What makes you so sure?" Mr Uraraka asks and One for All really isn't sure if he has enough evidence with him. He has concrete evidence of the tax evasion but he doubts that'll do much to convince them. Oh but he also has...! He has some of the paperwork from the company which shows the anomalies ever since he started working at their company... Uh... One for All pats himself down, forgetting where he put that particular paper. Oh! He put it in one of his pouches. He quickly pulls it out and offers it to Mrs Uraraka since he doesn't want to enter uninvited or just awkwardly hold it out for him when his wife is right then and can probably understand it herself. Mrs Uraraka takes it and looks over it and Mr Uraraka nears the door. He peers over his wife's shoulder and begins to look over it too.

Soon enough, a frown settles on Mr Uraraka's face and from the angered look in his eyes, he begins to see it too. Mrs Uraraka worriedly looks over to her husband, most likely seeing the same thing. One for All has to admit, the villain did a good job of covering it all up. You miss it unless you're looking for it. It was a bit more complicated than what he's used to - he's still fourteen, after all. He doesn't know everything. He was only able to understand because one of his admins - Suziya - looked over it for him and found it. She's a student, majoring in economics and business and something else that he can't remember. She explained the basics of it to him so he has enough understanding of it all to be able to hold a conversation and explain what he's looking for to the Urarakas, but ultimately, he does need Suziya's help for this. Also the Uraraka's, of course. It's also another reason why he needs them to be able to build this case. They understand it the most and can explain any anomalies that might be unrelated. It's their company, after all.

Mr Uraraka finally looks up and locks eyes with One for All, frowning deeply. The anger is still present but it's not directed at him, shown by the way he tries to calm himself before he speaks. "Why don't you come in, One for All?" He offers and One for All nods, stepping into the house.

* * *

~~~Memey Murderboi~~~

"I can't believe this," Daisuke breathes - he had asked that One for All calls him by his first name. As had Yua. It's only been about 20 minutes since he's entered the house and explained the situation and already, One for All has stressed the pair beyond their expectations. They've also proven to be quite friendly, which One for All finds a bit worrying because they literally have a wolf in sheep's clothing wondering around their company and their lives and they sure don't deserve that.

"I'm sorry for such bad news," One for All apologises, watching them worriedly. He places his cup of tea back down onto the table. Yua places a comforting hand on her husband's back, her own face covered in worry. "Would you like a minute? I can leave."

"No, no," Daisuke sighs, lifting himself up. He looks so tired. "Please. Stay. Thank you, One for All, for telling us this. If you're right about this, then... We might be able to save our company," Daisuke has the slightest bit of hope shining in his eyes and One for All is relieved. Hopefully, he's right. Hopefully, they can save their company. And if One for All has anything to say about it, they _will_ save their company.

"I'll do everything in my power to ensure you can save your company," One for All reassures. The Urarakas nod, both equally determined.

"What would you like us to do?" Yua asked determinedly. One for All smiles. Looks like he'll be able to build a case after all.

"Well, to start with..." Soon enough, they have paperwork out and spread about. It takes a total of an hour of reading and searching through it all for the paperwork to be scattered everywhere, over every surface - the couch, table, floor, nearby items. It turns into a mess rather quickly, especially since Daisuke has dutifully kept all necessary paperwork for the last 20 years and has it all stored somewhere. 20 years of paperwork is a lot to go through but with two highly trained professionals and one beginner, they manage to make a little dent in it all. AKA, it's going to take some time to get through this. One for All will likely enlist Suziya's help for this to help speed it up. He wonders if she'd be willing to visit the Uraraka's to help them go through it.

The Urarakas have already noticed some strange things in their paperwork, certain patterns and things that just overall don't add up. One for All has... Well, he's mostly just learning, asking questions and clarifying. He's relaying a lot of it to Suziya and also doing a different type of research. He had asked the Urarakas about their company's insurance and their own personal insurance. He really does want them to get the most out of this and get back on their feet and the insurance would be the best way to do that. Insurance was something that One for All understood a lot of. So, while the Urarakas looked through their paperwork, One for All did some research on their laptop to find the best kind of insurance for this situation. It would mean they'd likely have to switch insurance for this and that could take a while but with at least 14 years of fraud to look through, One for All imagined they would manage to get it all sorted. At least, he hoped. He wasn't quite sure how long it would take them to change their insurance. Hopefully they would have enough time. If not, he would wait, as long as he could ensure that he didn't accidentally tip Daigo (the villain in question) off.

They're all hard at work for at least four hours when the front door opens and a female voice rings through the house. One for All's head snaps up, alerted. Ochacho Uraraka is home. He looks at the time and wow he lost track. He's going to be late for dinner! Oh no, his mother is going to be so worried... (Again.)

"Mom? Dad? Are you still home?" Ochacho Uraraka calls. One for All stands up, looking to Yua and Daisuke questioningly.

"I can disappear if you want," He speaks lowly, as to not alert Ochacho of his presence. The parents share a glance and seem to have a silent conversation. Then they nod to each other and Yua gets up and walks towards the door. Daisuke turns to him.

"Please," Daisuke responds and One for All nods, searching the room. He goes for the window, being mindful of the paperwork as he walks towards it. He opens the window and after checking the streets and the structure around the window, he climbs out and carefully scales the wall so he's out of sight from the window. He listens on the conversation while keeping an eye on the streets down below to make sure no one sees him. He also double checks his stance and the sturdiness of what he's holding onto.

"One moment, sweetie! I'll be right there!" Yua calls and then a second later, the door opens. "Ah, welcome home, Ochacho! How was your day?" Yua continues and One for All assumes that Ochacho has entered the room. It's silent for a moment as Ochacho doesn't reply.

"What are you doing in here?" Ochacho asks curiously.

"Sorry honey, we're just a bit busy. As you can see, we're going through some paperwork. An...issue has popped up and we just need to fact check, you see," Yua's voice is kind and reassuring as she speaks but One for All can just about pick up the nervousness in her voice.

"Oh, I see... Um, will you be out for dinner?" Ochacho asks, quickly changing the subject.

"Of course, sweetie. Actually, why don't we start making it now? Together?" Yua offers positively.

"Of course!" Is Ochacho's enthusiastic response

"I'll be out soon!" Daisuke calls.

"Okay!" Ochacho responds and then quick footsteps, followed by slower ones and the door shutting. One for All waits for a few moments before he moves slightly. The wall crumbles slightly and he guesses the noise gives him away because Daisuke calls for him. One for All looks to the window and his own hold on the wall before throwing himself to the window, landing heavily on the frame in a crouch. He looks up to Daisuke with a small smile. He's standing up, having neared the window.

"I suppose we better wrap this up," Daisuke says. One for All climbs down from the window and back into the room.

"Yeah. I have to be home for dinner myself," he pulls out his phone and starts typing a quick text to his mother. He sends it once he's done and looks back up to Daisuke. "I have a private number for things like these. I can give you it, if you promise not to give it out to anyone else unless they need it because they need help." One for All offers.

Daisuke nods. "Yes, please."

After giving Daisuke his private number - he has another one, one of the old flip phones for business - they begin to sort the paperwork in piles. What's useful against Daigo, what's not, what they're slightly unsure about, etc.

"And please remember, Daisuke. Do not attempt to speak to Daigo about this. Act normally as much as you can. And most importantly, do not approach him on the matter. I highly doubt it would end well and I can't assure your safety if I don't know what's happening," he's as serious as he can with his warnings. Of course, he'll keep an eye out and make sure Daigo doesn't try anything but he can't promise anything - mainly because he can't be watching all the time.

After that, they shake hands and say their goodbyes and then One for All leaves out the window. He jumps onto a nearby balcony and looks back at the apartment. Through the window, he can the Urarakas in the kitchen as Daisuke joins. Ochacho seems overjoyed to have her parents with her. One for All smiles.

Ochacho Uraraka. He hopes everything turns out okay for her. He hopes he can solve this family's problems. He looks to the sky. Speaking of family. He's definitely late for dinner. It's almost 9pm... His mother must so worried...

* * *

Izuku quietly closes the door behind him and takes his shoes off. He looks around the hall, looking for any sign of his mother. The lights are still on and he knows she doesn't go to sleep until he's home. It's a bit suspicious though. She's not actively waiting for him and it's quiet in the house. He can't hear anything, not the TV, or any sign that she's in the kitchen. Izuku narrows his eyes and makes his way through the house quietly. He's tense as he goes further, alert even in his own home. While he usually feels safe at home, he can't deny that sometimes he actively does _not _feel safe anywhere, not even in his own house. He's always on guard everywhere, with everyone. Everything makes him worry. He's scared someone will recognise his voice. He's scared the police _know _who he is and are onto him and that's why he says an officer in passing - because they're trying to subtly observe him. He's scared his classmates will notice his change in personality and match it up. He's scared someone will take his bag or the wrong notebook. He's scared, scared of everything and it's constantly putting him on edge, constantly burning him to the core.

But most importantly, the silence scares him. It's only silent when it's about to go terribly wrong. The calm before the storm. He hates it so much. He fears it. And what scares him more? Silence in his own house. His mother isn't exactly loud but she jitters. She does things and in the process, makes noise,

He walks into the living rooms and stops at what he sees. His mother is asleep on the couch, a blanket covering her legs. She looks worried even in her sleep. Almost all of the tension leaves his body at the sight. He's almost calm. Never truly calm, never truly at peace. Instead, he just lets out a sigh or relief and smiles. He walks over to his mother and pulls the blanket up so its covering her entirely. She must have been really tired today. He feels guilty. She works so hard and worries for him so much and he can't return the favour, not really. He helps around the house when he can but it doesn't feel like enough. It never does.

Izuku crouches down and just _looks _at his mother with his trained eyes. There are slight dark bags under her eyes which he has noticed are becoming slightly heavier each day. She's paler than usual. If he looks carefully, he can see the dried trail of tears that had run down her face. Of course. He had made her cry. Great. Why couldn't he do _anything_ right? Why was he such a bad son? Why couldn't he amount to something? Something that was just enough that she didn't have to worry like this all the time?

Izuku sighed quietly, dropping his face into his hands. He took a few breathes, calming himself. He rubbed his face, then looked around at the slight mess of the living room. Making up his mind instantly, he stood up and cleaned up the stray mess here and there. He walked into the kitchen. His mom had already done the washing up. He opened the fridge, finding his dinner wrapped up neatly. He took it out and put it in the microwave as quietly as he could. Gosh, everything sounded so loud when you were trying to be quiet. He prayed the microwave didn't wake his mother up.

After a tense minute and 27 seconds - because there was no way in hell Izuku was going to let that damned microwave beep and wake his mother up - he pulled out his dinner and ate quietly, lost in his thoughts. It took him longer to eat than it should have but he didn't mind. He washed up and once he deemed everything clean enough, he returned to the couch his mother was sleeping on. He grabbed three more blankets, placing one more on his mother in case she got cold during the night and then settled down on the floor himself. He grabbed his mother's hand and settled his head on the couch, two blanket wrapped around his shoulders and himself. His eyes flickered to the clock. 11:07. Yikes. He pulled his phone out and placed it on the table. He and his mom got up at the same time he didn't worry about his alarm, which was already set.

He closed his eyes, relaxing. Izuku yarned, clenching his mother's hand gently. Just as he fell asleep, he muttered; "_I'm sorry, mom_."

He didn't notice the way his mother shifted slightly after that, already asleep.

* * *

(1) I don't know what Ochaco's parent's names are, so I made them up.

(2) I don't know what the Uraraka's work as, so I just gave them their own company. A small one, though.

Anyway, this is like, the introduction of some more of the plot and what Izuku is really like in this universe. I think I'll be headed into the real plot soon.


	6. Investigation: Kamino Ward

Katsuki Bakugo was many things. A fighter, for sure. Izuku had brawled with him enough to know he was a force to be reckoned with. Arrogant, maybe. Honest, no matter how much you really just preferred he lied. Explosive, for definite.

But most importantly, an idiot was not one of them.

Izuku was wary of him the most. More than anyone, Izuku was aware of him the most. Bakugo had known him since he was a child. Heck, since he was born. Their parents were friends so it was a given. They had grown up together, attended the same schools together, fought against each other, and just overall been nearby almost all the time. For the longest time, they had aimed for the same thing. To be a hero.

That is, until Izuku began to stray from that dream. Until he warped and morphed his dream into something else and strayed from Bakugo's path. He thought that Bakugo wouldn't notice. After all, he had always been ready to get rid of him. To get _away _from him. But as days passed and Izuku changed more, shown by the slight differences, Bakugo, of all people, noticed. Noticed the way he walked, the nervousness that wasn't quite jittering anymore but rather almost practised alertness, the raised confidence. The strength behind his punches, the calmness, the barely concealed techniques in his movements whenever they fought.

That was the thing about Katsuki Bakugo. You thought that if he didn't care, he wouldn't notice the changes. If you thought that, you'd be very wrong and in some grave shit. Like Izuku is, right now. Well, perhaps he's overthinking it. But Bakugo has a knowing look when he looks at him, whenever the topics of heroes come up, he doesn't get mad. Whenever the topic of vigilantes comes up, y'know, like One for All, Bakugo looks directly at Izuku with a piercing '_I know what you fucking did_' look in his eyes.

See, Izuku didn't realise he was exposing himself to Bakugo as the days went by. If anything, he thought that Bakugo would be the very last person to notice, given his disregard of the teen. The whole constant 'wanting nothing to do with you' actions. The hatred to even be _near_ him. Bakugo should have been the last to know, yet somehow, he seemed like the first.

Honestly though, Izuku wasn't entirely sure that Bakugo _did _know. He hadn't said anything that indicated he did, hadn't spoken to him or even mentioned One for All in any conversation (that Izuku could hear, anyway). It was just the looks. Bakugo had a few different 'looks' which ranged from 'annoyed neutral' to 'I'M GOING TO FUCKING MURDER YOU SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY' and the looks that Bakugo was giving him now wasn't even similar to anything Bakugo usually had. He just looked knowing. Still annoyed sometimes but honestly, that was just his default so Izuku wasn't sure if it was really related. He looks annoyed when calm. Hell, he looked annoyed when he was happy - which... was rare. Izuku couldn't actually remember the last time he had seen Kacchan happy.

_Don't get distracted, Izuku._

Right. Izuku was doing his best to ignore Bakugo right now. The class had managed to get to the conversation of heroes again. They were talking about Mount Lady's debut and recent activity. Then someone had shouted "but she can't beat One for All!" and while Izuku was more than happy to have one of his classmates actually like him (even if they didn't know it was him), he had drawn a bit more attention than he would have liked. As in, the class was now talking about One for All and their opinion on him, which Izuku was trying really hard to focus on while Bakugo had turned his head to look at him. The second the name came up, Bakugo had looked straight at him. Izuku didn't know what to make of this look. He was just staring, very clearly, at him as if expectantly waiting for Izuku to suddenly confess he was One for All. Or perhaps he was waiting for a reaction for him to confirm his theory.

Well, Izuku wasn't going to give him one. Instead, he focused on what his class was saying. From what he could hear, he had most of their support. Others had a conflict of interest, while others were just unsure of where they stood with him. It was interesting to hear. People said different things when they were and weren't in the presence of the person they were speaking about.

"I think," Bakugo suddenly cut in, drawing attention to himself easily. Most of the class silenced when he spoke. Talk about authority. "that One for All is either Quirkless or a liar who hasn't told anyone about his hidden Quirk," Bakugo's words are sharp and his eyes don't leave Izuku and _dammit._ He knows! He has to! Why else would he say that? He's making Izuku more anxious than he would like to be. Purposely ignoring Bakugo won't go well for him, so he turns to meet Bakugo's stare head on. Bakugo stares back at him steadily.

_Fucking Kacchan._

A classmate erupts, yelling at Bakugo. "He's not a liar! He's like, the most honest person ever! You literally see his every move, man! You just have to _actually _watch!" The boy defends, moving his hands rigorously. Bakugo finally breaks their staring contest to turn his gaze to their classmate who spoke.

"Then why won't he tell us what his Quirk is?" Bakugo asks steadily and Izuku knows that this is _serious _because Bakugo is only calm when he's really and truly serious. Which he shouldn't be unless he knows something, dammit!

_Fucking Kacchan!_

"Because it's like- like- like his secret weapon or something! Or maybe he already uses it, we don't know!" Is the fired response and Izuku appreciates him a lot more. Hopefully he can avoid a confrontation with Bakugo thanks to him.

"Or _maybe_ he just doesn't have a Quirk," Bakugo implies and then turns back to Izuku who freezes, putting up his best neutral mask. "Why don't we ask the nerd? I mean, you're Quirkless, so you would know, right?" and then the class turns to him and Izuku feels his gut twist. His mood sours more than it already has and he feels like someone has just stabbed a knife into his back with all the pressure he suddenly feels. Stop looking at him. He hates it. Stop it. Stop looking. Stop judging. Stop thinking. He doesn't want to hear it. _Stop_. **Stop it.**

_Get your shit together and get Kacchan off your trail._

Izuku sucks in a breath and once again meets Bakugo's gaze head on, but it's nowhere near as steady as he would have liked. His personality changes are normal. He is normal. Any changes that Bakugo might have noticed are normal because Izuku has grown as a person. Not because he is One for All but because he's a growing teenager, which means hes changing as a person. "I don't know. He could be Quirkless, since I think it's possible. But there's no way to know for sure unless One for All says." His voice is calm but that's a slight edge to it he doesn't want there but can't control. Dammit.

A sharp grin grows on Bakugo's face and Izuku feels like he's just walked right into a trap. So help him, if he just gave Bakugo what he wants... No, no. He's overthinking. He's just nervous, he's just bleeding, he's just hurting from all the stares directed at him. He knows his opinion doesn't actually matter, it never has, yet he gave it anyway. He feels like the air in the classroom is thin and barely breathable. He's _suffocating_.

_**Stop looking at me.**_

"And when is that? Think he'll ever tell the truth?" Bakugo asks, the grin making him look shark-like. Like a damn predator. Fucking Kacchan.

"I don't know, that's his choice," Izuku replies heatedly, unable to keep the glint of anger out of his eyes. Bakugo is pushing him and Izuku can't think straight because everyone is _still_ looking at him and he can't _breathe. Stop looking at him!_

A classmate speaks up before Bakugo can say anything else. "I thought you said Quirkless people can't become heroes?" and once again, before Bakugo has a chance to even open his mouth, someone else explodes and the conversation moves onto the topic of whether One for All has a quirk or if he's a hero or something else entirely. Bakugo doesn't look bothered and instead continues staring at Izuku, now with a smirk. Great. Izuku feels like he can breathe now that the class isn't focusing on him anymore but now he's panicking for a different reason. Bakugo is looking at him victoriously, still with that knowing glint in his eyes.

_Fucking Kacchan._

* * *

When the bell rings to end class, Izuku is out of the door within seconds. He does _not_ want to risk a confrontation with Bakugo. He does not want Bakugo asking questions or confirming any theories. It's the last thing he wants. Again, he could be overthinking but he's learnt that sometimes it's just best to be cautious.

He practically runs out of the school in his attempt to avoid Bakugo. He even takes a different route home so Bakugo won't find him. It's the weekend so he won't have to worry too much for the next two days.

* * *

He pays a visit to the Urarakas during the weekend to see how they're doing. He doesn't want to show himself to Ochacho unless her parents are okay with her. So he goes to the window. Scaling the wall from the balcony is quite hard but he manages it. He peers through the window, spotting Daisuke on the couch and going through paperwork. One for All smiles slightly. He's certainly determined.

He knocks on the window, making Daisuke jump. He spins around quickly, alert. One for All waves and gives a smile. Daisuke relaxes with a sigh and a smile. He places the paperwork down on the table and walks towards the window, unlatching the window and letting One for All in.

"Hi," One for All greets. "I didn't want to go to the front door in case answers. I don't want to reveal myself to her unless you're okay with it," he explains because while entering through windows is fun, its not exactly polite.

"Don't worry about it. But, thank you. Now, I've been looking through my papers and I found..." They spend the next twenty minutes going over the pattern that Daisuke has found and One for All is impressed. He's done a bit of studying so he understands it a bit better but he's still a beginner. Regardless, he manages to understand and from what he understands, he has enough to prove that Daisuke has been stealing money from the company. However, One for All is nothing but thorough and he wants the full extension of what Daisuke has done to make sure the public know what he's really done and for the Urarakas to get the most out of this.

One for All asks how the company is going and how confrontations with Daigo are going. Daisuke tells him they've been avoiding his calls and any face-to-face confrontation. One for All is relieved. He gives Daisuke Suziya's private business number so they can discuss this between them since One for All really isn't good at this particular talent yet. He leaves shortly after as Ochacho knocks the door for her father. He leaves through the window again.

* * *

He manages to avoid Bakugo for a total of two weeks. Then, his mother tells him they'll be going to the Bakugo's for dinner. His Mother is excited and happy and Izuku tries to dissuade her with "but we fight, remember? We're not exactly friends," and other valid reasons that are half-truths and complete truths but his mother only beams at him.

"Actually, it was Katsuki who suggested it! His parents said he wanted to make up with you! So, we'll be going over there this Saturday! And to make sure you don't run off again," Izuku pushes the guilt down. "We'll be going the whole day! We'll be there for 1pm and stay for dinner! Isn't that great?" His mother is so happy that he can't possibly refuse.

"Yeah, it is, mom," Izuku forces a smile. His mother happily chatters away, telling him the details. If Kacchan had been the one to ask for the dinner, then it's clear what this is about. He wasn't happy about being avoided (not that Izuku was bothered about that. He had noticed Kacchan chasing after him once and all he did was stick out his tongue, rush around the corner and then _sprint for his fucking life. _Bakugo didn't get him that day either.) and was clearly taking the initiative. He just _had_ to use their parents as an excuse to _corner him._

_Fucking Kacchan._

* * *

One for All is back to investigating. He's taken a bit of a break from his streams in order to do this. He has some private investigations he has to focus on. He's looking into the missing people again. The ones who disappeared without a trace. The villains of all types just disappearing without a trace. It's been driving him crazy the last few days. Well, actually, Bakugo has, but whatever. This has too.

It's been driving him crazy enough that he actually left his city. Which, as he already mentioned, he does _not _like to do. But his investigation requires that he be here, so... Here he is. In Kamino Ward.

He has a vague sense of what he's looking for and a few places to check but ultimately, he doesn't have much plans until he finds anything. It's really a plan as you go kinda thing, which he's not entirely comfortable with. At the very least, he intends to get his mother a gift while he's here, as well as the ice cream she really likes that can only be found in a few stores. The one in their city is out of stock so hopefully he'll have more luck here. It'll be a nice surprise.

He's wandering around somewhat aimlessly, a bit lost. He has a map of the city but its all so big. He decided it'd be best to go incognito as to not alert anyone of his presence here. He doesn't see the point in seeking around as One for All when he could just walk through the streets with less worries. So he's wearing a grey hoodie which he has pulled over his hair and jeans. Inconspicuous, he hopes. He keeps his head down anyway.

Just a normal teenager in the street. He looks around, sight seeing as he goes. He's not looking at anything special in particular but it's kinda nice to be somewhere else. It makes him anxious though. Being in an entirely different city without his mother. What if she needed him while he was gone? It would take him a while to get back. Or what if something happened in his city? He didn't want to leave it unattended, even if there were heroes there. It just made him uncomfortable. A lot of things did. There were just so many unknowns and with a mind like his, all he did was think about everything and how it could all go very _wrong._

There was also the fact if something happened to him here, there would be many, many questions. He also didn't want to drag his mother out here if he got taken to the hospital. He was away from his usual contacts for when he needed serious help - his admins helped patch him up when he needed it. His most trusted admins knew where the Murderfort was and had access to it. But out here... He didn't have anything. He had fans, undoubtedly, but... He had no base of operation, no back-up, he wasn't familiar enough with the area to know which areas were best to avoid other than rumours and research or how to navigate through the allies or city in general... Ugh, it all made him nervous. He was used to doing things alone, sure, but he was used to being alone on _familiar_ territory.

Kamino Ward was _not_ familiar territory.

Once he nears his destination, he ducks into an alley. It's getting dark and he doubts there will be much light in the alley. He has some equipment with him, weapons, technology, the usual but he's not sure what to expect exactly. He pulls his mask out of his backpack and puts it on his face. He has night vision in his mask so that should solve that problem. It's not dark enough to use it though.

He wanders through the alley, committing it to memory. If all else fails, he'll have to head to the rooftops somehow. He has a bit of his gear with him - his strength enhancers, mask (obviously), a knife, rope, a baton, a gun and he's wearing his boots which have special impact softening material in. He has his tech attached to his wrist like usual as well, hidden under his hoodie. It was fully charged and he had the equipment with him to recharge it if necessary. He'd just need somewhere to plug it in. He had different types of maps with him, including one that detailed the city's sewage system. He has multiple versions of the normal map, with notes and details and places highlighted with places he should check, needed to check, should avoid and notations of heroes and villains known to be in the area. Izuku had been planning this for a while now. He wasn't one to be unprepared, after all.

* * *

Three long tiring hours later and One for All hadn't found much. He had met a fan that recognised his mask and had a long conversation in which One for All offered some advice when his fan spoke of his life. It had been a nice break actually. He had sat down discretely with him, spoke to him about his problems, managed to scare his bullies away when they came his way and even gave him his private business number in case they ever tried anything.

He looked out for his fans, that was a fact. Although he slightly feared he may have just made a superfan... Still, he was glad to make Tenma happy. It made everything worth it. He had a little... skirmish in an alley. Some guys tried to rob him and he knocked them out. He left them there with a tip to the police that there had been an attempted robbery. Whether or not they could be properly charged, he wasn't sure.

One for All slowed down as he heard talking nearby. He was already quiet when he approached, so hopefully he didn't spook them away. He sneaked towards the corner, peering around it slightly.

"Kurogiri... Just take me home already," A young adult mumbled, scratching at his neck. He wore a dark hoodie which covered his face, pushing his shaggy light blue hair into his eyes. One for All couldn't make out any features. Beside him was a...man? Made out of what seemed to smoke and dressed in a suit.

"Don't you think we should stay out for a bit longer?" 'Kurogiri' asked, seeming to try to convince the young adult something.

"No... Just take me back to the bar. I'm tired," The young adult continued to scratch at his neck, One for All watching carefully. They weren't doing anything wrong but he found it weird they were just casually having a conversation so far into the networks of allies. One for All yanked himself behind the wall quickly as the young adult turned in his direction. Crap. Did he see him? Just in case, One for All ripped his mask off and shoved it into his pocket. Maybe he could just play it off as being lost? They didn't seem too troublesome, but... The one scratching his neck... he had a weird aura about him, Izuku wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was the way he was nearly scratching his own skin off, or perhaps the fact that Izuku couldn't see his face. However, Izuku was sure it was the way he behaved. He hadn't been here for long so maybe it was just those few moments but the way he talked... The desolate, uncaring and tired manner. It could be that he had a long day but something just seemed so _wrong_ about him.

"Kurogiri, there's someone over there," the same tired voice spoke and a jolt went through Izuku. He'd rather not confront them, especially since it didn't seem like they were actually doing anything other than trying to persuade the other to 'just take him home'. So, Izuku bolted. He sprinted back the way he came. Purple mist appeared in the middle of the alleyway before he could get too far, however. Izuku screeched to a halt, watching the mist with intrigue and surprise.

His mind quickly rushes through some responses that will hopefully get him out of this. They didn't seem like villains from what they were talking about but they _were _hanging around in back alleyways and that wasn't something you'd do for the hell of it unless you were prepared to protect yourself or fight. Hopefully the simple excuse of 'I don't have any money' would dissuade them, regardless of how small the possibility was.

The mist forms into a person with a nice grey suit and metal armour around their neck. (Izuku is assuming body parts but it's working out well.) He turns to go the other way but the young man with the hoodie is standing there. Drat, they've blocked him in.

"I-I don't hav-have any mo-money," Izuku stutters, putting as much fear into his voice as possible. Can't have them being too suspicious, after all. It's not hard to act afraid - he's been afraid his entire life, after all.

"We don't want your money," The young man lazily replied.

"Th-then?" Izuku stammered, drawing his body in so his body language clearly states he feels as though he's under threat. The man surveyed him before finally, sighing, his shoulders dropping.

"Forget it. Let's just go, Kurogiri..." The man turned away, stalking away from him. Izuku perked up. They were going to leave?

"Yes, sir," Kurogiri replied, following after the younger man. Izuku watched them walk away until they were out of sight. Just as the man was about to turn the corner, about to leave Izuku's sight, he stopped and turned around, watching him carefully. No, there was something wrong here. There was a look in that man's eyes- something dangerous, crazed, _wrong, _borderline giddy like he had just figured something important out and it was completely _wrong._

Every muscle in Izuku's body tensed, preparing for a fight, preparing for the man to switch, for something to go horribly wrong. The air around that man was completely different, out of place, cold, _deadly_ and Izuku didn't like it one bit.

"See you, One for All," The man waved casually, as if the look in his eyes didn't scream pure _insanity, _as if knowing who he really was without the mask wasn't a massive deal, as if this was _normal. _Izuku felt the blood drain from his body, everything going cold. He hadn't been recognised without the mask before (unless you count Kacchan but that was a different matter entirely) and the thought of his identity going viral as well as everything else terrified him, gluing him to the spot. He knew it was something he would have to deal with eventually, that one day he'd have to take off his mask and show the world who he really was ot gain their full trust but now? Right now? He wasn't ready, he was _far_ from ready. He couldn't do this, not now. There was too much at stake. It was too soon, he wasn't _ready-_

He looked up to find the man gone.

* * *

Midoriya Izuku found himself wandering the busy streets of Kamino Ward. He had no destination in mind, he was just purely wandering, lost in thought as often. He had calmed down since his encounter with that man - who he didn't even _know, _let alone whether he was a hero or villain or if he'd keep his secret _safe._ His panic was subdued for now but a cloud of gloominess hung over him. He would have to take extra precautions for when his identity was out. He already had some, of course, but since the threat of exposure was more prominent than ever, he'd have to ensure everything was in place. Honestly, his only concern with his identity being out was his mother. And maybe school. There were plenty of solutions for the latter so he wasn't too worried about it. There was also the fact that he wouldn't be able to just walk around in public anymore without being noticed. He enjoyed the attention as One for All but being Midoriya Izuku was his escape from all that. Without the safety, the _privacy_ that being nobody gave him, he would crush under the pressure and that was the last thing he needed. He had no friends, no sidekicks, no one who he could trust with his secrets and problems, a mother who was so worried everyday and all Izuku did was put more and more distance between them every day.

He sighed, looking up towards the lights. It was drizzling, he noticed. Izuku didn't mind, it wasn't like it was really getting him wet or anything. It was bearable. He stood there, in the middle of the streets, looking at the lights as people hustled around him with umbrellas and shopping. For some reason, despite his need to focus on the matter on hand, he ended up focusing on something else. Here he was, surrounded by tons of people and a famous vigilante hero that so many people admired and the life he had surely dreamed of - even it was a warped version - was finally his and there were no barriers in his way, supported by his admins and fans... He just felt alone. How weird.

He lifted his hand, trying to see the drizzle land on his hand. He was faceless in a crowd, a background character in everyone's lives - just as he wanted for himself when he wasn't One for All and yet; the loneliness suffocated him.

How unusual.

* * *

When Saturday comes, Izuku's stomach is full of dread. Gosh, he hates this. Damn Kacchan. He doesn't _need_ this right now. No, what he _needs _is to go back to his website and make a bunch of memes to mock heroes he doesn't like.

His mother and the Bakugos give each other pleasant greetings, pleased to see each other and all very respectful. Kacchan stands beside his mother who is welcoming the Midoriyas in. As the group enter, still greeting with quick warnings and explanations of what they have to catch up on, Izuku sends Kacchan the most vicious glare he can the second he's sure none of the adults are looking. Kacchan, the little bastard, just smirks, completely relaxed. Izuku has half a mind to just punch him in the face _right now_ and end all these pleasantries. But, for his Mother's sake, who is so happy and smiling, he refrains.

Once all the greetings are through and they're all ushered to the living room, Kacchan begins to head upstairs. He throws a 'we'll be in my room' over his shoulder, prompting Izuku to stand up and follow him without even having to say anything.

"Ar-are you sure that's a go-good idea?" Izuku's mother asks, worried, clearly knowing their track history and not wanting the two to be left alone unattended, lest they want a fight to break out. Given what they're going to talk about, a fight probably will ensue. Neither is good at holding back their anger when it comes to each other nor is it a 'gentle' topic they can stay calm over.

Regardless, Izuku doesn't want his mother to worry. "Don't worry, Mom! We'll be okay!" He gives her a quick hug and then jogs up the stairs, following Kacchan to his room. He mentally sighs.

_Let's just get this over with._

* * *

Welcome back.

I had major writers block with the Shigaraki scene so for that, I apologise. Buuuuut, for once, the gears are finally turning and the plot is finally settling in.


	7. I Know You As You Know Me

Izuku debates grabbing a chair and hitting Kacchan over the head with it. If he does that, hopefully he'll pass out and they won't have to have any conversation. Then, he'll just wake him up in time for dinner and boom, problem solved.

Well, it'll certainly end in a boom, anyway. But that'd just make everything worse, wouldn't it?

Izuku let out a long sigh, like he had just spent several hours working hard and was incredibly tired and not just like he was about to have a conversation with a childhood friend. Izuku sat down on Kacchan's desk chair, leaning his arms on the back of it as he watched Kacchan, who sat down on his bed, carefully.

The room was silent for several minutes, both boys just staring at each other, waiting for the other to speak. If it was a waiting game, Izuku knew he would win without a doubt - patience wasn't a word that existed in Kacchan's world. Although that being said, usually he would begin twitching from impatience. He wasn't doing that now. No, instead, Kacchan seemed to be assessing him. Watching him and his every move carefully, no doubt testing this theory in his mind.

Izuku had spent his own fair share of hours debating this (long nights plagued with worries and bad thoughts. Two people. Two people knew who he was and he could only reach one of them. His searches to find the other were in vain). In the end, whether or not he trusted Kacchan with keeping his secret depended on how he acted and his responses. If he couldn't trust them, then Izuku wasn't so sure about what he _could_ do. He couldn't make him just "unlearn" his secret and he couldn't keep an eye on him every minute of the day to make sure he didn't spill. Perhaps if he could find someone with a memory quirk... Hell, maybe he was thinking this through too much. Bakugo Katsuki was not someone that went around spilling secrets. No, he was the type to take even the pettiest secret to the grave just for the _hell_ of it.

Deciding that thinking really won't help anymore and they should really just get over with it, Izuku let out another loud sigh. "Well?" He asked boredly, looking at Kacchan expectantly. Kacchan perked up lightly, his eyes narrowing.

"One for All," Kacchan declared, voice raspy and low and full of accusation. Izuku rolled his eyes at Kacchan's oh-so-intelligent manner.

"Yes, yes, caveman. He exists. Now, what have we talked about? Use your big boy words, Kacchan. Remember? Biiiig boooy wooords," Izuku scolded, drawing his words out, entirely mocking, followed by a deep frown and not a hint of a smile. A slight spark came to Izuku's eyes, however. He did love taunting Kacchan. It was his favourite past-time when he wasn't busy or avoiding him.

Kacchan let out a snarl but didn't respond to Izuku's clear mockery. "You're One for All," he said instead, not a question or an option; a fact. Izuku smiles mysteriously, leaning forward in his chair. If Kacchan had his suspicions already, it would be hard to dissuade him. If Izuku admitted to it now, he would at least have some control over the situation, even if only a little.

"And if I was, what would you do with the answer?" Izuku asked, deadly serious. He lost the smile, fixating on the other boy, patiently waiting for the answer. If Kacchan kept his secret, there still wasn't much Izuku could do with it. It'd just be a secret the two had and maybe Kacchan might be able to cover for him once or twice, if he was willing.

But, it was Kacchan, after all. He probably wouldn't be.

Kacchan's face stretched into a scowl. "Nothing," he hissed. Izuku hummed, half expecting Kacchan to try to blackmail him. He wouldn't put it completely past him. Izuku's opinion of him was quite weird - he held him in high regard when it came to being strong and knowing what to do and the like, but he was a bit of a shit person otherwise. Far too much arrogance and anger and Izuku hated that part of him. He loved and hated him. Fun, right?

Yeah, that's what he thought.

Izuku leaned his head into his arms and watched Kacchan lazily. "So, what's the point of knowing?" He pondered out loud. He wasn't denying it, which he should be but honestly: Izuku was _tired. _So damn tired and he just didn't have the energy in him to be constantly dealing with this explosive dickhead.

"Fight me," Kacchan growled, a deadly glare on his face which Izuku was immune to, and a ferocity in his eyes. The room was silent for several moments as Izuku processed his words.

"...Hell no." Izuku blanched. God, why did this idiot have to fight _everything? _Yes, Izuku admired that strength and determination but _damn _did he need anger management. "How about... we just continue the way we were? Y'know, ignoring and hating on each other. I liked that - it's easy to ignore a brainless ape." Now he was undeniably poking at the other teen but you know what? He was a prick to him. Most importantly: Izuku had spent the past few days with minimal sleep, if any, due to his anxiety about this whole situation. It had frayed his nerves and now he was just beyond caring.

Izuku watched with amusement as Kacchan squirmed, trying his hardest to keep his anger at bay. Aw, cute, he was learning.

"Now use your big boy words-" Izuku started, only to be interrupted. Kacchan threw his hands into the air, explosions crackling around him with a yell of anger. Izuku smirked.

"It's really easy to get under your skin, huh, Kacchan?" A shift in Kacchan's body language gave him all the warning he needed. "Oops," Jumping off the chair and rushing to the door with a cartwheel, Izuku managed to avoid two explosions and a punch - courtesy of your very own Kacchan, of course.

He ripped the door open and sprinted down the hallway with a laugh, Kacchan hot on his trail. Practically jumping down the stairs, Izuku skidded into the living room where their parents were with a massive grin. They had settled onto the couch with what looked to be tea and some snacks.

"Momma!" Izuku cried childishly, throwing his arms around her from behind. "How you doin'?" He couldn't keep the childish grin off his face as he snuggled his face next to hers.

"O-oh, Izuku..." His mother stammered, clearly startled. Kacchan stormed into the room and Izuku turned his head to face him. Giving his dear childhood friend a mischievous smirk, Izuku stuck his tongue out and then quickly climbed over the sofa, happily snuggling into his mother's side. Not even the great Bakugo Katsuki would _dare_ to fire an explosion near his mother - for multiple reasons. Izuku liked to think a main reason was because Kacchan knew that Izuku truly would bloody well kill him. But, he knew that the real reason was, of course, despite the explosive personality and his general attitude, he did have respect for some people. Not complete respect but his own little type of respect of 'don't be a dick to this person' and 'my mother will end me if I so much as breathe wrongly in their direction'.

"Wha-what?" His mother stammered, not able to keep up with the quick change of events.

"I'm glad we decided to come, mom! I can't wait for dinner!" Izuku chirped, sharing a friendly smile with the equally startled Bakugos. Mrs Bakugo was quick to recover, a smile appearing on her own face. Izuku knew her well enough to know that she could tell when they were bordering a fight or a potential bad outcome and she could clearly see that Izuku had pissed her son off.

Granted, she refused to care about that.

Instead, Mrs Bakugo called her son over to the couch, slapping the back of his head with a quiet "behave" hissed under her breathe and directed her attention to Izuku as Kacchan seethed quietly, steam rising from his palms. "I'm happy to hear that! Dinner's already in the oven, so it'll be a short bit before it's ready."

"That's okay! We'll just stay down here until then! Right, Kacchan?" Izuku gave his dear childhood friend a bright smile, summoning the power of sparkles and flowers to aid in his innocent act. Next to him, his mother gave her own weary and slightly worried smile, managing to complete the family image of 'too innocent to touch'.

Kacchan continued to seethe.

* * *

"I had such a great time, thank you!" Izuku called, waving goodbye with his mother as they exited the Bakugo's house and walked towards the gate.

"It was lovely having you! Be sure to come back soon," Mrs Bakugo gave a wave as well, Mr Bakugo also giving a wave before sending an anxious glance towards his wayward son.

Pissed didn't _begin_ to describe Kacchan right now. No, he was beyond pissed but he also wasn't allowed to explode. He was straining with the effort of keeping his anger at bay and boy, did it show. Izuku had spent the entire evening jabbing at him with subtle hints neither parents could pick up the meaning on and carefully concealed insults. Izuku had done everything in his power to act as the purely innocent Midoriya Izuku that everyone believed him to be. Well, except for Mrs Bakugo, of course. Nothing really escaped her eye. She knew very well how deceptive he could be but she always said he was a good kid, so she didn't mind. She probably picked up on the meaning of a few jabs but she had ignored them, as always. She was really cool, to be honest. She was the balance that Kacchan needed.

As the son and mother walked away, Izuku took great pleasure in hearing the loud scream or rage, followed by explosions that came from the Bakugo house. Kacchan had probably waited until they were 'far away enough' to let it out. The entire neighbourhood could hear it. The entire neighbourhood was also used to it, so no one even batted an eye at the sound. Izuku smirked, pleased. His mother noticed, looking at him worriedly, but deciding not to say anything.

She knew more than she let on as well, it seemed. She was his mother and she was not blind, after all.

* * *

When One for All turned on his camera for his stream, he was running atop rooftops. His drone loyally followed after him, recording him from the sky, as always. He was headed to an apartment on the other side of the city - the definite poverty area. There were a small group of villains that he intended to take down today. One for All had been debating his agenda for a while now. All he ever did was go after the 'smaller' villains. The ones that the actually powerful and big villains hired for the sake of more manpower. As far as he was aware - and he was very aware - he hadn't taken down a 'big fish' before. His ideology was that if he kept going after the smaller villains, then the leaders of the major groups would eventually run out of henchmen. It wasn't likely, though. Regardless, he was cutting numbers down and it was the smaller villains that committed the crimes that the public was more aware of. Murders in the street, robbings at any time of day which could financially hurt them, hurting people they cared about and making people feel unsafe in their own home and neighbourhood. Whereas most people didn't even know who or what the big villains were or their goals. They operated in the shadows, harder to find but their crimes having less effect on the public in terms of morale. It was only when they made their big move that people noticed and a lot of people died in the sudden attack.

Today, One for All was unsure about his usual actions. Going after both was the right choice but going after the smaller villains was the _smart_ choice. He couldn't handle the bigger villains - not on his own, anyway. He needed to go smart and fast, not strong and hard. It was one thing to go after villains that had no idea how to cover their trails, compared to the villains who could murder someone and no one would even notice. A villain with enough power to keep themselves at the top and still be strategic enough to rule over their empire.

The problem was; One for All _wanted_ to go after a bigger villain but he _knew_, he **_knew_**, dammit. That despite his experience and everything he's done, he's nowhere near ready. He fights with technological support, trained martial arts, experience and deception. He was the type who fought his opponent without actually fighting them - having them fight themselves or amongst themselves. Parrying blows and wearing them down before moving in for an actual attack, finding ways to turn them against each other, bouncing off the walls and floors like a fucking bunny to make it look like he was going in for attacks and actually giving a small amount of resistance to their quirks just to tire them out.

No, as much as One for All wanted, he could _not_ go after a bigger villain. He wasn't strong enough, not with the way he fought and the way he was now. Without a Quirk, he had nothing to fall back on if his technology and usual tactics failed. He had enough training and experience to be able to fight hand-to-hand if it came down to it, if parrying and dodging wasn't enough to save him, but nothing to help match Quirks.

And yet, the naive hero accidentally walked unknowingly right into a Lion's Den. The damned big fish.

* * *

One for All jumped off the wall, the booster in his boots aiding him to send him all the way to the floor, absorbing the impact so he could immediately go straight for the next wall. He moved as fast as he could, jumping around and dodging as many bullets as he could. The mask in his camera was still streaming but his drone had been shot down a few minutes ago.

A villain with black hair and a single brown eye - the other one was closed, a deep scar covering it - was shooting at him with a literal machine gun and he was panicking. One for All imagined that the villain couldn't use his left eye and tried to move towards the left where he might have just enough of an opening to attack. Of course, dodging rapid gunfire as fast as he could was a hard enough task on its own, getting close enough to disarm him near impossible. One for All tilted his body, pushing off the ceiling and deciding to risk it all, shot off in the direction of the villain. His feet smashed into the villain's face, the gun still firing but missing him as the villain was thrown backwards, hitting his head on the wall and falling unconscious in a slump.

One for All fell to the ground in a crouch, a heavy breath of relief escaping him. Taking the few seconds he had to assess himself, he noticed his multiple scrapes and cuts. He hadn't been able to completely dodge the bullets - a lot had scraped him. Some were light while quite a few were deep. Hissing, One for All stood from his crouch, pressing a hand to his side and keeping his right arm close to his body. The deepest scrape was his stomach - it was bleeding excessively. There were three deep scrapes on his right arm, two of which were so close that the skin in between was threatening to rip if he moved his arm too much. His left arm was much better, only having one scrape. He had two scrapes between both his thighs and another scrape on his cheek. The realisation of how closely he had quite literally just dodged death slammed into him and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself. He had come too far as One for All to back down now. He was the one who wanted this. No one had _asked_ for him - he had taken it upon himself. So, it was his responsibility to deal with what happened next.

He just hoped it wasn't certain death. He didn't want to break his mother's heart.

Absentmindedly, his eyes drifted to his wrist, looking at the screen and rapidly appearing comments. A quick glance informed him that his fans were, indeed, losing their shit. But to be fair, when _weren't_ they? Wait, no - he couldn't focus on that right now. His followers were important but right now, he needed to focus on surviving and getting through this.

A glint through the doorway behind the unconscious villain's back gave him just enough warning to throw himself to the side, dodging a shuriken that would have ended somewhere in his legs. Dammit. These guys were _really_ aiming to maim and kill. Better yet; they were serious. If it was up to One for All, he'd probably attempt an escape. However, it seems these guys were intending to set a trap for him. He had entered the lone apartment and after a few seconds of being inside, metal had covered the windows and all the doors except for the one in front of him, sealing off his escapes. The only possible escape was forward and he assumed there was nothing nice about what was through that door. The shuriken only helped prove that.

"So, who's so excited to see me?" One for All called playfully, addressing whoever was through the door. He was in no way, shape or form having fun or enjoying this situation, but he needed to keep his act up. He was still standing to the side, so whoever was there shouldn't have a clear shot of him. He hoped, anyway. It also meant that he didn't have a clear shot either.

"Our boss," A female voice responded just as a figure appeared through the door. One for All tensed. A young woman, looking to be in her mid-20s with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes leaned against the door-frame. "He's a bit upset with you. He doesn't do a lot of work but for all the work he does do, you've made it a lot harder. You keep taking our guys out and I guess he's not happy with that," The woman explained, inspecting her long nails. She was acting bored but One for All could see the curiousity and excitement barely hidden behind her eyes. "Buuuut, it is nice to meet you! Everyone talks about you nowadays! You're almost as popular as All Might yet nowhere near as strong."

"...Thanks?" One for All really wasn't sure what to say about that. Yeah, he knew he was popular. People from overseas known about him by now - but that was probably because he was an online hero and if news was to spread efficiently through only one method, it was the internet. It was the only reason he was popular, really.

The wall next to woman burst, debris flying everywhere and One for All jumped back in blind defence, not able to see through the debris what was happening. Something slammed into him and One for All let out a cry of pain as he was slammed into the opposite wall, the wind knocked out of him instantly. Blurry vision, One for All quickly tried to recollect himself enough to make out what his attacker looked like or rather, what they were using.

Blinking, his vision readjusted and he looked down at what was keeping him pressed to the wall. It looked like some kind of energy Quirk? One for All looked up, spotting his attacker just in front of him. It looked like he was projecting his energy and forming into whatever shape he- One for All was pulled from the wall and slammed right back into it. For a brief moment, his vision went black before returning to him. Forcing his body to obey him, One for All squirmed until he could reach his gauntlet, immediately pressing a button he hated. A horrible screeching sound that grated right through his ears to his brain wailed loudly, painfully. Both of the villains yelled in anger, attempting to cover their ears. The energy drew back from around One for All, the owner deciding to protect his ears from the horrible sound. No matter how many times he heard it, he'd never get used to the sound. Well, that was sort of the point, but... Yeah.

It was like drawing a nail down a chalkboard but _worse_ and louder.

Who said you couldn't irritate someone in order to win a fight?

He turned the screech off, jumping forward towards the female villain, then sharply to the right to avoid being in her sight. He kicked her in the side, the booster in his boots giving his kick extra strength. She was sent flying into the wall and One for All rushed to the other villain, ducking under the solid energy that had formed hands to grab him. Skidding, he jumped up, twisting in the air so his feet hit the ceiling before bounding back down, smashing his fist into the male's face. One for All could feel the breaking of bones under his fingers as they cried out in pain, losing balance. One for All caught his balance by landing in a hand-stand, quickly springing upwards. He grabbed the villain by their arms, swinging them around and - the female villain was getting up - throwing them towards the female villain and knocking them both down. They landed in a pile of limbs. One for All's eyes swept around the room, scanning for any other threat or potential weapon they could use against him. The first villain he fought when he arrived was still unconscious, lying exactly where One for All had left him. Albeit he was covered in a bit of debris. His gun was on the other side of the room, reassuring One for All that at the very least, he wouldn't have to immediately worry about rapid gunfire.

Holding his right arm up, he pointed his gauntlet at the two, his taser crackling. A warning. "Who do you work for?" One for All asked calmly, slightly out of breath. Answers would be nice. His eyes flickered to his gauntlet once more, the screen showing his stats. His camera was still on, with over 7000 people currently watching, he still had a grand total of 89% of power left and Asher, one of his Admins, was trying to contact him. He had more than enough power to shock them a few times. He hoped it wouldn't have to come to that, though. Despite wanting to, he couldn't take Asher's call right now, even though the admin would undoubtedly be trying to help.

One for All watched as the female villain struggled up, pushing her friend off and looking up to him. She scowled. "Someone very smart and very annoyed," she answers and One for All rolled his eyes.

"Very helpful. Who are they?" One for All demanded. He looked around again, wondering if there were any cameras. It didn't look like there were-wait. No, there was. Now that he was looking for it and looking carefully, he could see it. There was a small - and he meant small - camera in the right corner of the room. One for All couldn't exactly tell where it was pointed but he assumed it would be in his general direction. Maybe he could use it? Or was someone watching them? One for All narrowed his eyes. Their boss, maybe? He might have to worry about back-up, then.

"I'd be more worried about what's behind you," The woman smirked and One for All heard a click behind him. His heart practically leapt into his throat and he quickly tried to spin around-

One for All choked, his body freezing. He hadn't been able to turn around in time, so he craned his head around slowly. There was no one behind him - but there was a hole in the wall. Mechanical parts withdrew back into the wall and a slot came down, closing the compartment. One for All stumbled, losing his balance, his mind trying to catch up. Something had just stabbed him in the back and it was deep. He didn't know how deep, just that it was still in his back and he could feel his blood slowly pouring from the wound and down his back. Fumbling, he caught his balance, leaning down until he was resting on his knees. He couldn't _breathe_.

One for All could feel the blood rushing through his skull, the blood pouring from the fresh wound on his back and the horrible feeling of- _something_ near his spine. His mind refused to work properly and all he could focus on was the pain every single second the wound remained. For a brief, terrible moment, all he could focus on was pure instinct to _fight_ and **_kill_ **his attackers and tear the entire room down before curling into a ball and just laying there and wishing the pain away. The instinct was overwhelming but with a great deal of willpower, he forced it down. His mind screamed at him, blared the danger in his ears, his nerves reminding him of the damage done and the seriousness of the wound, the need to fix and heal and One for All took the moment he _really _didn't have to force it all down again, forcing himself to remain in _control_ and not attack mindlessly - he couldn't _allow_ himself to break his code, to kill without a trial, to do something he wasn't supposed to without consulting his usual guidelines and what they allowed.

He had to remain in _control_.

The woman was getting up and preparing to attack. One for All couldn't kill her - the only thing he could do was leave her for the Police and hope there was a warrant out for her arrest. She hadn't been the one to stab him so he couldn't pin this on her, use that as the evidence. Villains attacking him held no evidence when it came to the trials.

Stick to your morals and hold on tightly. (_These scars made you who you are_, he reminds himself. The motto he's always used when his mind panics.)

One for All lurched to the side as more shurikens flew in his direction. His body screamed in protest but he forced himself to ignore it. Dodging the further missiles that were thrown in his direction, One for All lunged forward, tackling the woman to the ground. She punched him in the nose and he hissed in pain as his head snapped back. Gritting his teeth, he returned his gaze to her, already drawing his fist up to return the favour. Smashing his fist down onto her with the most strength he could muster, he watched as her head smacked against the ground from the force before her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Her entire body relaxed under him. One for All deemed her unconscious.

Giant hands wrapped around him, pulling him off the ground and into the air. The air rushed around him as he was thrown across the room, his back smashing into the wall and the oxygen once again forced out of his body as pure agony went through his body. His vision blacked out for a second, before returning in a haze. He struggled, only to find his strength was rapidly slipping.

"What? Can't kill me?" His attacker taunts and One for All wheezes as more oxygen is forced out of his lungs, cutting off the air supply he desperately needs. He grins anyway, blood staining his teeth from his busted lip.

"N-ah, c-can't do th-at-at. I don't h...have a fi-le on you," and it's, unfortunately, the truth. The hands grip him tightly and the next thing One for All knows, he's flung across the room again, slamming against the surfaces of the room multiple times. On his fifth visit to the floor, his head smacks against the ground and everything goes black.

* * *

Alright, I'll be honest. I'm nowhere near happy with the ending. I wanted to be more dramatic but I just didn't know how to end it and I didn't have the motivation for it. The chapter was technically ready like, two months ago but I was struggling on how to end it. I got frustrated, so I just left it with that. I hope it's good enough anyway.


End file.
